Letter to Friedrich Engels, April 24, 1869

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 24 April 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
Printed according to the original
Published in English in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


MARX TO ENGELS[1]

IN MANCHESTER

London, 24 April 1869

DEAR FRED,

For ABOUT 12 days I have been suffering dreadfully with my old liver complaints. I am swigging the old medicine from Gumpert, but so far without success. As a result, I am completely paralysed mentally. This condition appears every spring. If I do not pass through it SAFELY, the CARBUNCLES come next. So please ask Gumpert if he knows of anything new for me. I have not smoked for a week. Ça suffit[2] to make clear to you my state.

It will take me a few days to get the information for Borchardt from Dupont. I cannot find the copies of Zukunft. Apropos. The new 'sub-Stieber' who now edits Hermann is named, or calls himself, 'Dr' Heinemann, and claims to come from Manchester. Do you know anything about him?

The worthy 'Hillmann' from Elberfeld has written to me. I'll send you his letter on Monday.[3] He attacks Liebknecht on account of his renewed armistice with Schweitzer, as a result of which the fruits of victory have been lost. Hillmann the Honorable was, in 1867, the rival worker candidate to Schweitzer.[4] Hinc Mae lacrimae.[5] Salut.

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ An excerpt from this letter was published in English for the first time in: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Selected Letters. The Personal Correspondence, 1844-1877, Ed. by F. J. Raddatz, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto, 1981.
  2. ↑ that suffices
  3. ↑ 26 April
  4. ↑ On 12 February 1867, at the elections to the North German Reichstag in Barmen-Elberfeld, Sophie von Hatzfeldt, who headed a small group of Lassalleans that had split away from the General Association of German Workers in 1867 (see Note 104), launched a campaign against Schweitzer. His candidature was opposed by that of Hillmann which the workers did not support: Hillmann received only 52 votes. However, Schweitzer, who received 4,668 votes, was not elected either.
  5. ↑ Hence these tears (Terence, Andria, Act 1, Scene 1).