Letter to Karl Marx, October 28, 1852 (1)

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 28 October 1852


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 1, Stuttgart, 1913
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 39


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 28 October 1852

Dear Marx,

Yesterday I sent you a volume of Dureau de la Malle[1] and a letter per Carver & Co.[2] Enclosed herewith you will find various covers done up to look like commercial ones, and enclosed therein envelopes for Hontheim and Esser I, who are less likely than Schneider to arouse the suspicions of the philistines. If you think it advisable, you can always enclose a sealed envelope for Schneider. However, I don't see why you shouldn't every now and again write a line or two to the other defence counsel to make them feel that they are important. I also enclose a commercial seal; your old one bearing Weydemeyer's arms and the clumsy S are useless. When writing to Manchester also use any other old SIXPENNY seal.

Every so often send Schneider a relatively unimportant letter by registered post so as to mislead the fellows and make them believe that we have dropped our clandestine methods for want of addresses.

There can be no doubt that the citizens whose addresses you will find here will see to it that the letters reach their destination.

You should draw counsel's attention to the obvious CRIMES and délits[3] committed by the police and make sure they enter a plea for Stieber's arrest on grounds of perjury and false evidence; the fellow has effectively committed PERJURY in the case of your letter to Kothes.[4]

By this evening's post a letter about more humdrum matters.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ A. J. Dureau de La Malle, Économie politique des Romains.
  2. ↑ See this volume, pp. 218 20.
  3. ↑ offences
  4. ↑ In this connection see K. Marx, Revelations Concerning the Communist Trial in Cologne (present edition, Vol. 11, pp. 422-23). In his speech on 4 November 1852 Schneider II exposed Stieber's falsification of facts connected with the confiscation of Marx's letter to Kothes