Letter to Friedrich Engels, November 2, 1853

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 2 November 1853


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


MARX TO ENGELS

IN MANCHESTER

[London,] 2 November 1853 28 Dean Street, Soho

Dear Engels,

You must let me have something by the day after tomorrow, even if only 1 or 2 pages (if you are short of time) on the CROSSING of the DANUBE by the Turks when they took Kalafat. Yesterday I reported the news[1] as VERY DOUBTFUL. But it seems likely to be confirmed and tomorrow's papers will at any rate tell you how things stand. Now that scientific opinions are beginning to be expressed on the subject, I can neither remain silent nor discuss it from the standpoint of 'sound common sense'.[2] According to the news in the French press, Shamyl has roundly trounced the Russians and is actually threatening Tiflis, while General Vorontsov has written to his government informing it that, once he is threatened from 2 sides, he will not be able to hold Georgia without substantial reinforcements.

Of late the Tribune has been considerably exercising its annexationist policy. To begin with your first military article was annexed as a LEADER, then my Palmerston,[3] further instalments of which are thus foredoomed to annexation. Strange though it may seem to you, by following exactly in the footsteps of the NOBLE VISCOUNT during the past 20 years, I have come to the same conclusion as that monomaniac Urquhart—namely that for several decades Palmerston has been in the pay of Russia. As soon as you have read the further instalments of my article (especially the bits about the Turko-Syrian conflict[4] ) I would like to have your views on the subject. I am glad that chance should have led me to take a closer look at the foreign policy—diplomatic—of the past 20 years. We had very much neglected this aspect, and one ought to know with whom one is dealing.

Diplomacy as a whole is nothing but Stieber, Bangya and Co. reproduced on a large scale.

The New-York Enquirer, edited by General Webb (I haven't read the article myself), has attacked the Tribune LEADER got from you.[5]

The thing, it says, is scientifically correct, but a Turkish war is waged according to different principles. Turks would go into the attack whatever the circumstances, etc.

How is the Factory Pro-le-ta-ri-at doing?

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ K. Marx, 'War.—Strikes.—Dearth'.
  2. ↑ An allusion to Heinzen's der gesunde Menschenverstand (sound common sense). See K. Marx, 'Moralising Criticism and Critical Morality', present edition, Vol. 6, pp. 317, 330 and 337.
  3. ↑ F. Engels, 'The Russians in Turkey'; K. Marx, 'I. Palmerston', New-York Daily Tribune, No. 3902, 19 October 1853. An allusion to the fact that the newspaper editors had not named the author.
  4. ↑ K. Marx, Article III of the 'Palmerston' series: 'A Chapter of Modern History', New York Daily Tribune.
  5. ↑ F. Engels, 'The Russians in Turkey'.