Letter to Hermann Jung, end of July 1872

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written July 1872


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVI, Moscow 1935
Published in the languages of the original, in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


MARX TO HERMANN JUNG[1]

IN LONDON

[London, end of July 1872]

Dear Jung,

Voila'[2] Article 8 in the French and English versions: Dans sa lutte contre le pouvoir collectif des classes possédantes, le prolétariat ne peut agir comme classe qu'en se constituant lui-même en parti politique distinct, opposé à tous
 les
anciens partis formés par les classes possédantes. Cette constitution du prolétariat en parti politique est indispensable pour assurer le triomphe de la révolution sociale et son but suprême, l'abolition des
classes. 'La coalition des forces ouvrières déjà obtenue par ses luttes économiques doit aussi servir de levier aux mains de cette classe dans sa lutte contre le pouvoir politique de ses exploiteurs. 'Les seigneurs de la terre et du capital se serviront toujours de leurs privelèges politiques pour défendre et perpétuer leurs monopoles économi- ques et asservir le travail 'La conquête du pouvoir politique devient donc le grand devoir du prolétariat'

  • 'Against the collective power of the propertied classes the working class cannot act, as a class, except by constituting itself into a political party, distinct from, and opposed to, all old parties formed by the propertied classes.

'This constitution of the working class into a political party is indispensable in order to insure the triumph of the social Revolution and its ultimate end—the abolition of classes.

'The combination of forces which the working class has already effected by its economical struggles ought at the same time to serve as a lever for its struggles against the political power of landlords and capitalists.

'The lords of land and the lords of capital will always use their political privileges for the defence and perpetuation of their economical monopolies and for enslaving labour. To conquer political power has therefore become the great duty of the working classes.'*

Salut.

Karl Marx

  1. ↑ The letter contains the text of Article 8 adopted at the General Council meeting of 23 July 1872 on the suggestion of Edouard Vaillant during the discussion of the new draft General Rules and Administrative Regulations (see Note 570). The Hague Congress incorporated it into the General Rules as Article 7a (see present edition, Vol. 23, p. 243).
    Part of this letter was published in English for the first time in: Karl Marx, On the First International Arranged and edited, with an introduction and new translations by Saul K. Padover. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1973.
  2. ↑ Here is