Letter to Wilhelm Liebknecht, around April 10, 1871

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 10 April 1871


First published, in Russian, in Marx-Engels Archives, Vol. I (VI), Moscow, 1932
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


MARX TO WILHELM LIEBKNECHT[1]

IN LEIPZIG

London, [around 10 April][2] 1871

Dear Wilhelm,

Just two notices in great haste which you could surely arrange to put into the Volksstaat:

1. In the Papiers et correspondance de la famille impériale, now officially published, there is a reference under the letter V (the recipients of money are arranged alphabetically) which states verbo tenus:

Vogt—il lui est remis en août 1859 40,000 francs.[3]

2. Whereas the Bismarck government in Germany has made correspondence with me into a more or less highly penal affair (vide the Brunswick trial,[4] just like the Cologne Communist trial of earlier years 138), in France it attempts to discredit me (and with me the International in Paris—that is the aim of the whole manoeuvre) by branding me as one of Mr Bismarck's agents. This is done through the organs of the old-Bonapartist police which is still entwined by international bonds with Stieber's police— particularly under the Thiers regime.

In consequence I have been compelled to publish denials in The Times of various lies that have appeared in the Paris-Journal, the Gaulois, and so on, because the rubbish is reported to the English press by telegraph.[5] The latest example was provided by the Soir (the paper of About, the well-known Plonplonist[6] ), which has only very recently been suppressed by the Commune, and from the

Soir it circulated to all the French reactionary press throughout the provinces. E.g. today I received from Laura (BY THE BY, Lafargue is at this moment in Paris as a delegate from Bordeaux) the following extract from the paper La Province (and yesterday I received the same piece from a clerical newspaper in Belgium): 'Paris, 2 April. A piece of news just arrived from Germany is causing a great sensation here. Authentic proof is now to hand to show that Karl Marx, one of the most influential leaders of the International, was the private secretary of Count Bismarck in 1857, and has never ceased to remain in contact with his former patron.'"

Stieber really is becoming a 'terror'!

Salut.

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ On 19 December 1870 The Times published Gladstone's letter, dated 15 December, which announced an amnesty of the condemned Fenians (on the Fenians see Note 6). However, this amnesty was hedged round with numerous reservations, which caused Engels to compare it with the shabby amnesty of political prisoners announced in Prussia in January 1861 on the occasion of William I's accession to the throne.
  2. ↑ In the original '14 March', which is a slip of the pen.
  3. ↑ 'Vogt—40,000 francs were remitted to him in August 1859.'
  4. ↑ This refers to preparations for a trial of the Brunswick Committee members who were arrested on 9 September 1870 (see Note 115). The charge of 'causing a breach of the peace' was 'based', i.a., on the fact that they were members of the International Working Men's Association. The trial took place in November 1871 (see Note 335).
  5. ↑ On 29 November 1850 Olmütz (Olomouc) was the scene of a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Prussia and Austria, Baron von Manteuffel and Prince von Schwarzenberg. Under pressure from Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, Prussia renounced her plans for suppressing the uprising in the Electorate of Hesse and complied with Austrian demands.
    On the initiative of Nicholas I negotiations between the Austrian Chancellor Prince von Schwarzenberg and the Prussian Prime Minister Count von Brandenburg had taken place in Warsaw in October 1850. The point at issue was the conflict between Austria and Prussia over supremacy in Germany. During this meeting Nicholas I intimated that he was firmly on Austria's side.
  6. ↑ an adherent of Prince Joseph Napoleon known under the nickname of Plon-Plon