Letter to Friedrich Engels, October 28, 1853

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 28 October 1853


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 1, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 1, Berlin, 1929
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 39


MARX TO ENGELS

IN MANCHESTER

[London,] 28 October 1853 28 Dean Street, Soho

Dear Frederic,

Mes remerciements pour les deux articles.[1] I fear you have been too biassed by Mr Smitt[2] in favour of Russia's military achievements. D'abord, as regards the 1828-29 campaign, it was a wretched affair in the opinion of most contemporains; I base myself inter alia, on the REPORT submitted to the Duke of Wellington by his ADC and published in The Portfolio.[3] The fortresses were bought rather than stormed. In general, BRIBERY played a major role in the campaign.

After passing through the Balkans, Diebitsch was not sure whether he had come to conquer or to be miserably cut off and captured. What saved him was BRIBERY, this time of one of the Pashas in command, and the UTTER DISSOLUTION of THE TURKISH ARMY. Russia began the war when the fleet had been destroyed off Navarino[4] and the Turkish army's traditional organisation had been destroyed by Mahmud and no new one had yet been established. In any case, circumstances are different now.

Over the past 2 weeks the Débats has been publishing articles on the campaigns of '28-'29, which, however, I have not read. I shall look out further material at the library.

Pieper has been out of hospital for a week—and is doubly occupied, 1. as correspondent of the Washington Union, arranged by Cluss and 2. as CLERK (from 9-5) at 25/- A WEEK with a crapaud[5] in the City. Hence of no further use to me. Tant mieux for him. I'm glad he's out of the mire.

I am sending you the continuation of the Palmerston.[6] Jones has asked me for the next instalment. I have sent an article for this once[7] but with the proviso that he would get no more if he didn't put an end to the abominable printing errors (this time glaring to the point of distortion). The manuscript was written very neatly.

Rings, stricken by madness, has spent several days in the WORKHOUSE and is still in a critical condition. Drink was to blame, quorum magna pars[8] the merry-making Lupus who debauched him with gin AFTER HE HAD SHUT UP HIS SHOP. Withal the man's too full-blooded to remain idle and has not yet succeeded in finding any fresh occupation. It's damnable the way the fellows all go mad on us.

Herewith Heinzen's tour de force.

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ F. Engels, 'Movements of the Armies in Turkey' and 'The Holy War'.
  2. ↑ F. Smitt, Geschichte des polnischen Aufstandes und Krieges in den Jahren 1830 und 1831.
  3. ↑ F. R. Chesney, 'Précis of a Report on the Russian Campaign of 1828 and 1829, drawn up for the information of the Duke of Wellington', The Portfolio, No. 26, 20 July 1836.
  4. ↑ The Turko-Egyptian fleet was destroyed by combined Russian, English and French squadrons at Navarino (Greece) on 20 October 1827
  5. ↑ Marx used this word for French philistines.
  6. ↑ K. Marx, Article III of the 'Palmerston' series: 'A Chapter of Modern History', New-York Daily Tribune.
  7. ↑ K. Marx, 'Lord Palmerston', Art. III, The People's Paper.
  8. ↑ a large part being played by (Virgil, Aeneid, II)