Letter to Karl Marx, February 24, 1865

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 24 February 1865


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 3, Stuttgart, 1913
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 42


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 24 February 1865

Dear Moor,

I'm a bit concerned at not having heard from you today, in view of the furuncles and carbuncles you mentioned, in the most interesting places (or rather most interested). I hope you are not

LAID UP.

I was particularly disappointed as I hoped to get the explanation—as well as the Weydemeyer—about the unspeakable mess the Social-Demokrat fellows made of your speech at the London Workers' Society festivity. They make you speak pure S.-D. Eccarius never reported that to them.[1] This piece of infamy and the reprint of the article from the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung in the following number, ostensibly about universal suffrage, about which it says not a word[2] is proof enough for me that the fellow[3] has simply been bought and has the job of compromising us. I hope the statement[4] is on its way. We must not delay a moment longer.

But quelle bête notre ami[5] Liebknecht, who is supposed to keep an eye on the newspaper and never reads it on principle!

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ At the beginning of February 1865 Marx made a speech at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the German Workers' Educational Society in London (see present edition, Vol. 20, p. 360). He criticised the views of the Lassalleans, in particular their dogma about the assistance by the existing state to workers' co-operative societies. The report on the celebration meeting was drawn up by Eccarius and published in Der Social-Demokrat, No. 24, 19 February 1865. The content of Marx's speech was presented by Eccarius inaccurately. He ascribed to Marx the idea that joint action by the proletariat and the bourgeoisie against the feudal monarchy was impossible. The German Workers' Educational Society in London was founded in February 1840 by Karl Schapper, Joseph Moll and other members of the League of the Just. After the foundation of the Communist League (see Note 17), the latter's local communities played the leading role in the Society. In 1847 and 1849-50, Marx and Engels took an active part in its work, but on 17 September 1850 Marx, Engels and a number of their followers withdrew because the Willich-Schapper sectarian-adventurist group had increased their influence in the Society. In the late 1850s, Marx and Engels resumed their work in the Educational Society. During the activity of the International Working Men's Association the Society (Lessner was one of its leaders) was its German Section in London. The Educational Society in London existed until 1918, when it was closed down by the British government.
  2. ↑ Part of this letter was published in English for the first time in K. Marx and F. Engels, Letters to Americans. 1848-1895, International Publishers, New York, 1953.
  3. ↑ Schweitzer
  4. ↑ K. Marx and F. Engels, 'To the Editor of the Social-Demokrat.'
  5. ↑ what a fool our friend