Letter to Friedrich Engels, September 21, 1859


MARX TO ENGELS

IN MANCHESTER

[London,] 21 September 1859

Dear Engels,

I have received your letter[1] together with the enclosure. My domestic AFFAIRS, by the by, have again reached the inevitable point of crisis, worse this time than ever before, because I can't see any way out. A go at my brother-in-law[2] ended IN NOTHING Freiligrath's business is WINDING UP. Whether the Swiss will set up a new London agency, and for him, in 1860 is still in doubt. So he now has a better excuse than ever to refuse to handle any bill transactions. Dana has warned me about OVERDRAWING. Consequently I'm in a complete FIX. Apart from minor hazards (e.g. this week they are threatening to cut off the gas and water) the more considerable debts have all been mounting up and a substantial portion of these can no longer be put off. E.g. house, school, etc.

As I shall have to write to Duncker shortly about the second instalment, let me know whether he has advertised the first instalment in the press. It seems to me that he would gladly let THE

WHOLE MATTER DROP.

The damnable thing about it is that I no longer have a Bamberger in London. Otherwise I could certainly arrange a few ACCOMMODATION BILLS which I would subsequently pay with the money from America. In these CIRCUMSTANCES it can never be a question of anything but MAKESHIFTS.

You must forgive me for telling you this tale of woe. But down here there is absolutely no-one to whom I can freely unburden myself.

As I've already told Lupus in my letter,[3] you will both be hearing from me shortly about some odd political scandals.

Salut.

Your

K. M.

  1. The letter has not been found.—489
  2. Johann Carl Juta
  3. The letter has not been found.—489