Letter to Collet Dobson Collet, December 9, 1876

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 9 December 1876


First published, in the language of the original (English), in Beiträge zur Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung, Heft 5, Berlin, 1975
Reproduced from the original
Published in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 45


MARX TO COLLET DOBSON COLLET[1]

IN LONDON

[London,] 9 December 1876

My dear Sir,

Mr Gladstone's exhibition at yesterday's conference[2] prompts me to communicate—for your and Mr Urquhart's private infor- mation—a recent exploit of this sensational statesman.

About a week ago he wrote a letter to Madame Nowikoff telling her that the Morning Post was sold to the Austrian government and that the Russian government ought, on its part, to buy London newspapers, in order to influence British opinion. Even Mad. Nowikoff found this a rather strange proceeding on the part of an English ex-premier. In the same letter he asserts that his popularity is daily increasing and that he feels sure of soon upsetting the Disraeli cabinet.

Mr Gladstone has evidently lost his senses. From some hints given to me, I believe that Mad. Nowikoff, on her return to Russia, will receive a visit on the part of the secret police and be courteously invited to hand over the letters of Mr Gladstone in her possession. By these letters the Russian government will keep him in bondage.

This communication is strictly private; any indiscretion would expose third persons to great danger.

Yours faithfully,

Karl Marx

  1. ↑ The address on the envelope is in Marx's hand: 'C. D. Collet, Esq., Sunny Bank Highgate'.
  2. ↑ On 8 December 1876, St James' Hall in London was the venue for the national conference on the Eastern Question. Its chief organisers came from the Liberal Party.