Letter to Karl Marx, March 7, 1869

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 7 March 1869


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 4, Berlin, 1931
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 7 March 1869

Dear Moor,

The answer[1] for the Russian[2] and his retinue is exactly as it should be. Even in their own sommation[3] the fellows do not dare to call upon you to make the programme your own; they simply wish indirectly to induce you to make a theoretical criticism. A stupid Russian trap into which people in this country will surely not fall. Apart from this, the people's retreat is complete, and nothing more could be desired. The about-face by which the fellows are being compelled to allow you to review their forces is very amusing, and will act like a bucket of cold water over their phrase-mongering heads.

As for the Peasant War it must, I believe, be offered first to Meissner for decency's sake; and if he is not interested in printing it as a popular, cheap pamphlet, there will still be time with Eichhoff. You will have to write to him about The 18th Brumaire, which you could do at the same time. If Meissner does not get on with The 18th Brumaire, or is scared, then steps must be taken and the thing given to Eichhoff.[4] Otherwise time will be wasted and the opportunity lost.

I discovered a copy of The 18th Brumaire at Charles',[5] and immediately confiscated it. I read it through again and immediately saw that the book must appear in French without delay.[6] That will have quite a different effect from just German, and will immediately make you a name amongst the French, which will at once ensure the translation of your book.[7] See who you might get to do this and, in any case, take steps along these LINES. Printed in Brussels, it would get to France en masse.

Before the Peasant War is sent off, send me the copy so that I can correct the misprints, see whether a preface, etc., is necessary, or some notes for the philistines. I am not quite sure whether the Spanish Bergenroth is Frau Jung's Bergenroth. I think I heard the latter had gone to America.

Ad vocem[8] Oberwinder[9] : did you ever write to the Angerstein who approached us previously?[10] The fellow still has some sort of paper in Vienna. It would be good to avoid an unnecessary squabble with Oberwinder; Wilhelm will have to inform us of the relations between these two and what Angerstein, who was also recommended by him, is now doing.

PRIMAGE is unknown to me in exchange rates and exchange practice. In freightage, it is a supplement to the usual freight, i.e., you pay 36s.— per ton freight and 10% PRIMAGE, that means 39s.6d. If you quote me the context, I can probably explain.

Courtage for the rembours is also a very sloppily-worded phrase, so the whole passage would be useful here, too. It probably means courtage, i.e., BROKERAGE for calling in from the drawer the sum of a bill that has gone to protest.8

The Augsburg [Allgemeine Zeitung] is again full of the information on the International in Geneva. Clossmann appears to have approached Becker.[11] Quite useful.

How are things in Basle? Becker has written 3-4 pamphlets about all these things, but apparently never sends any here.[12]

For a change, Schorlemmer has once again burned his face; a bottle of bromic-phosphorus he was preparing exploded in front of his nose. He looks good, but has otherwise suffered no damage.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ Marx discussed the draft of the reply 'The General Council of the International Working Men's Association to the Central Bureau of the International Alliance of Socialist Democracy' with Engels; it was unanimously approved by the Council at the meeting of 9 March 1869. The document was written by Marx in English and French (see present edition, Vol. 21), and confidentially communicated to the corresponding secretaries of the International's sections. The document was published for the first time in 1872, in the private circular of the General Council Fictitious Splits in the International (see present edition, Vol. 23).
  2. ↑ Mikhail Bakunin
  3. ↑ challenge
  4. ↑ See this volume, p. 211.
  5. ↑ Charles Roesgen
  6. ↑ Marx's work The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte was translated into French after Marx's death by the French socialist Edouard Fortin. The translation was published in the central organ of the Workers' Party of France Le Socialiste (Paris) in January-November 1891. It appeared as a separate edition that same year in Lille: Le Dix-huit Brumaire de Louis Bonaparte par Karl Marx.
  7. ↑ the first volume of Capital
  8. ↑ regarding
  9. ↑ See this volume, pp. 229, 233-34.
  10. ↑ Engels refers to Wilhelm Angerstein's letter of 9 March 1868, in which the latter requested him to contribute to a new Austrian workers' newspaper. On 11 March 1868 Marx received an offer from Angerstein to contribute to the Viennese newspapers Der Telegraph and Arbeiter-Zeitung. See Engels to Marx, 13 March, and Marx to Engels, 14 March 1868 (present edition, Vol. 42).
  11. ↑ See 'Genf, 21 Febr.' (in the section Neueste Posten), Allgemeine Zeitung, No. 55, 24 February 1869 (supplement); 'Genf, 28 Febr.' (in the section Schweiz), Allgemeine Zeitung, No. 63, 4 March 1869.
  12. ↑ On the insistence of the General Council, Article 2 of the Alliance's Programme was changed in April 1869 to read as follows: 'It is above all working for the complete and final abolition of classes and for the political, economic and social equalisation of persons of both sexes.'