| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 22 March 1853 |
To Engels in Manchester
[London,] 22[-23] March 1853
Dear Engels,
Your article on Turkey[1] splendid. Sent off.
I don't know if you have seen the following comments in a recent number of The Economist on the 'VALUE OF TURKEY'.
* 'While our commerce with Austria and Russia is either stationary or on the decline, with Turkey it is rapidly increasing. We are not able to state what proportion of our exports may find their way to Austria through Germany, but we believe it [is] only small. Our direct trade with Austria is absolutely insignificant. Our exports of British produces to her Adriatic ports (the only ones she has) were not given separately from those to the rest of Italy till 1846, when they reached £721,981. In 1850 they had fallen to £607,755 and in 1851 had risen to £812,942. Our exports to Russia were on the average of 1840 and 1841: £1,605,000, in 1846 and 1847, £1,785,000, and in 1850 and 1851, £1,372,000.' 'Our exports to the Turkish dominions, including Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Moldavia and Wallachia, have progressed as follows:
| £ | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| 1840 1,440,592 | 1844 3,271,333 | 1848 3,626,241 |
| 1841 1,885,840 | 1845 3,134,759 | 1849 3,569,023 |
| 1842 2,068,842 | 1846 2,707,571 | 1850 3,762,480 |
| 1843 2,548,321 | 1847 3,530,589 | 1851 3,548,959 |
Our exports are therefore threefold those to Russia and nearly double those to Russia and Austria together.' *
So much for The Economist[2]
There must be a considerable row going on about the 'TURKISH QUESTION' within the English Ministry itself, for the tune being piped by Palmerston's journal, The Morning Post, is altogether different from that in The Times.
Disraeli has happily been deposed from his LEADERSHIP of the 'GREAT CONSERVATIVE PARTY' and his place taken by Sir John Pakington, A MOURNFUL MAN OTHERWISE. It is the first time since 1828 that the Tory party has possessed a 'LEADER' no less mediocre than its rank and file.
You will have seen that during the last division on the Clergy Reserves Bill, when the worthy Russell himself PROPOSED THE OMISSION OF THE 3RD of his 3 original CLAUSES, it was only the votes of the conservative minority that secured victory for the Ministry.[3] A bad sign, that.
Mazzini has been here for a few days, but for the time being incognito.
That the 'GOOD ABERDEEN'[4] is much inclined to pick on the refugees will be evident to you from the fact that last week the English police took a kind of census of refugees. Two or three detectives IN PLAIN CLOTHES went from SQUARE to SQUARE and from street to street, jotting down information, most of it culled from neighbours or nearby ale-house keepers. In exceptional cases, however—e.g. at Pulszky's, the blackguard himself being now in America—they actually pushed their way into the homes of the refugees on the pretext that a theft, etc., had been committed, and scrutinised their papers.
The estimable Barthélémy got away with 2 months' imprisonment.[5] The fellow had the effrontery to have Ledru-Rollin informed he would shoot him down like a dog. To this Ledru replied that he would never exchange shots with such a man. Barthélémy, for his part, retorted that, if he wanted to induce a man to exchange shots with him, he knew very well how to do it—tested methods being to box his ears in public, spit in his face, etc. Whereat Ledru sent word that, in such a case, Barthélémy would become acquainted with his stick and with an English MAGISTRATE. This Barthélémy seems intent on becoming the Rinaldo Rinaldini of the emigration. Some ambition!
Père Willich has landed in New York. Friend Weitling organised a banquet for him attended by 300 persons, at which Willich appeared in a vast red sash, made a long speech to the effect that bread is worth more than liberty, and was presented by Weitling with a sword. Then Weitling took the floor and proceeded to prove that Jesus Christ was the first communist and his successor none other than the well-known Wilhelm Weitling.
I have received a letter from Schabelitz, which I enclose and from which it emerges 1. that, though he has not betrayed us politically, he has behaved very stupidly indeed; 2. that he meant, and still means, to swindle me, at least commercially. Originally, and under the contract, he was to run off only 2,000 copies.[6] From his letter it appears that he has run off more. How many, he has still not divulged. At the same time Dronke has received an answer from Dr Feddersen to whom he had written about the matter. Feddersen confirms Schabelitz's letter, but at the same time states that, in his opinion, nothing would come of a judicial inquiry concerning Schabelitz. The question is, what is to be done? The Prussian government wants to hush the whole thing up, so much so that the Foreign Minister[7] is looking for a Theory of Communism allegedly published by me in Basle. So even the title is to be kept from the public. Que faire?[8]
Schabelitz sent me 2 copies, 1 direct to me and 1 to Freiligrath, which together cost me 15/-. A fine return! So far I have not been able to drag the copies away from the gang. But I think I might succeed in getting hold of one by Wednesday (tomorrow) and will send it with the parcel that has long been waiting to go off to you.
Zerffi is here. He fled from Paris during the razzia on foreign correspondents. He believes that friend Bangya (who, by the by and en passant, is said to be finding life difficult and intends to return here in May) had denounced him as the author of a number of articles in the Kölnische Zeitung compromising to the 'Blonde Souveraine'.[9] Zerffi is a chatterbox, but his opinions on conditions in Hungary are more independent and accurate than any I have yet heard expressed by refugees from that country. This may be due to the fact that he is no Magyar born and bred, but a 'Swabian', and not only a Swabian but the son of a Hanover Jew, whose name was probably Cerf and was magyarised as Zerffi.
What wretchedly indolent dogs our people in Germany are! Not a word has come through from the fellows. By now they'll have seen from the newspapers that a pamphlet has been published about their case. But they don't so much as inquire about it. There's no responsiveness, no élan about the chaps. Old women—voilà tout.[10]
A funny piece of news in La Nation will hardly have come your way in Manchester. That angel Montijo suffers, it seems, from a most indelicate complaint. She is passionately addicted to farting and is incapable, even in company, of suppressing it. At one time she resorted to horse-riding as a remedy. But this having now been forbidden her by Bonaparte, she 'vents' herself. Ce n'est qu'un bruit, un petit murmure, un rien,[11] mais enfin, vous savez que les Français ont le nez au plus petit vent.[12]
Is there no news of Weerth in Manchester yet?
Your
K. M.
23 March. Yesterday, in response to our appeal[13] consisting of three lines and all our names, Freiligrath, the treasurer, received from the gymnastic club in Washington the sum of £20 17s. for the Cologne people.
Schimmelpfennig has inherited £1,000 from the Brüningk woman.