Letter to Friedrich Engels, July 21, 1866

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 21 July 1866


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 3, Stuttgart, 1923
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 42


MARX TO ENGELS

IN MANCHESTER

[London,] 21 July[1] 1866

DEAR FRED, The carbuncle has fortunately departed again of its own accord. But in the present heat my LIVER has been and still is scourging me sorely. For all that, my work[2] is progressing well and will continue to do so if my present condition lasts. It is, of course, embarrassing for me to have to pester you again already, but as you will gather from the enclosed note (which you must return to me) there is periculum in mora.[3] I have with difficulty obtained an extension until next Tuesday. From your last communication I am in doubt as to whether you are in Manchester. Nor have I received any more copies of The Manchester Guardian. Or has nothing else of yours appeared in it?[4]

One must refrain from passing any judgment on the present circumstances, pending news either of a ceasefire or of a decisive battle at Vienna. At any rate, the course of events has demonstrated the extraordinary decay of the Austrian system.

For the moment, these English of ours are, as always, paying homage to success. The great Arnold Ruge, too, has made his pronunciamento for Prussia 14 days ago, as the great Kinkel did earlier still. If the Prussians continue victorious to the end, what a throng of place-seekers and fatherland-rescuers will surge towards Frankfurt!

At all events, the 'homme prestige',[5] 'Jupiter Scapin',[6] GROTESQUE PROVIDENCE OF EUROPE is shaken and even overshadowed by Bismarck. That is some consolation.

The VTH REPORT of the CHILDREN'S EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION appeared here a few days ago. It concludes the enquête[7] into the manufactories, and only a supplement has yet to appear concerning the 'ORGANISED GANGS' of women and children, who are sporadically used in agriculture. There could have been no more dreadful blow to the optimism of the bourgeoisie since 1850 than from these 5 BLUE BOOKS. Furthermore, the VIIIth REPORT of the BOARD OF HEALTH[8] was brought out a few days ago, which contains in particular a very detailed enquête of the living conditions of the proletariat.[9]

Salut

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ The original has: January.
  2. ↑ on the first volume of Capital
  3. ↑ danger in delay (Livy, The History of Rome, Vol. XXXVIII, Chap. 25)
  4. ↑ This is a reference to Engels' intention to write articles for The Manchester Guardian on the Austro-Prussian war, which broke out in June 1866. He wrote a series of five articles, and they were published in the newspaper under the heading 'Notes on the War in Germany' (see present edition, Vol. 20). The Austro-Prussian war of 1866 put an end to the rivalry between Austria and Prussia, which had lasted for many years, and predetermined the unification of Germany under the supremacy of Prussia. Several German states (such as Hanover, Saxony, Bavaria, and Württemberg) fought on Austria's side. Prussia formed an alliance with Italy. In June and July, hostilities were conducted on two fronts: in Bohemia and in Italy. After the grave defeat of her army at Sadowa, Austria began peace negotiations and signed a peace treaty in Prague on 23 August.
  5. ↑ 'man of prestige'
  6. ↑ Scapin—a character from Molière's Les fourberies de Scapin (here Napoleon III is meant)
  7. ↑ enquiry
  8. ↑ Eighth Report of the Medical Officer of the Privy Council.
  9. ↑ Blue Books—periodically published collections of documents of the British Parliament and Foreign Office. They have been appearing since the seventeenth century. Marx is referring to five reports of the Children's Employment Commission (1863-66) and the Eighth Report of the Medical Officer of the Privy Council (1866) which was supplemented by Dr Hunter's report about the housing conditions of the workers; Dr Hunter's report was extensively used by Marx in Volume One of Capital (see the English edition of 1887, Part III, Chapter XXV and also Vol. 35 of the present edition).