Letter to Karl Marx, August 3, 1869

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 3 August 1869


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 3 August 1869

Dear Moor,

Enclosed, returned, Wilhelm and Bebel[1] and, in addition, a draft on the UNION BANK OF London for £100, with which I hope the debts are done with for ever.

Since, as Tussy tells me, Jenny has September free too, you can of course postpone your journey until that month. I always thought that, because of Jenny, you were limited to only four weeks during which you had to travel.

The row between Schweitzer and the Leipzig people is getting jolly. The accusations that Bebel has been bribed by the Guelphs, and the threat of the Schweitzerians that they will impose their victory upon the congress by muscle power, point to a fine show.

How stupid it was of Wilhelm to allow Goegg to be co-signatory of his congress manifesto, and thus expose himself to the attacks of the Social-Demokrat.[2] But Wilhelm simply can't get along without his philistine republicans.

My documents should now be signed today week, if the lawyers are ready. I shall certainly not get away before Wednesday, 11th inst. In any case I shall see you in London on the way there or back.

Best greetings to all.

Your

F. E.

[3]

So far I have watched in vain for the announcement of the 18th Brumaire.

  1. ↑ A reference to the letters of August Bebel of 30 July 1869, and Wilhelm Liebknecht, late July 1869. Bebel's letter was a reply to Marx's letter (not extant) of 27 July 1869 (see this volume, p. 332). Bebel and Liebknecht supported Marx's critical attitude to Becker's plan for a workers' organisation in Germany (see Note 409) and advocated its formation on the basis of the International's principles.
  2. ↑ A reference to the address to the German Social-Democrats 'An die deutschen Sozial-Demokraten' on the convocation of an all-German workers' congress in Eisenach with a view to founding an independent workers' party in Germany. The address appeared in the Demokratisches Wochenblatt, No. 29, 17 July 1869. It was signed by representatives of workers' societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Among the signatures of the members of the Central Committee of the German Workers' societies in Switzerland was that of petty-bourgeois democrat Amandus Goegg. This fact gave ground for an article featured by Der Social-Demokrat, No. 84, 21 July 1869, which identified the views of Liebknecht and his followers with those of Goegg.
  3. ↑ Who goes slowly goes surely.