Letter to Laura Lafargue, March 14, 1890

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 14 March 1890


First published in English in: F. Engels, P. et L. Lafargue, Correspondance, t. Il, Paris, 1956
Reproduced from the original
Published in English in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 48


ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE

AT LE PERREUX

London, 14 March[1] 1890

My dear Laura,

Last night Bernstein called. We think it best you should write to Bebel asking him for some information. He has the Parliamentsalmanach which we have not and a Secretary who might copy out a few extracts. You might say Bernstein and I had suggested this to you.

If you like you might write also direct to Carl Grillenberger, Weizenstrasse 14, Nürnberg G. von Vollmar, Schwabing bei München, J. H. W Dietz, Furthbachstrasse 12, Stuttgart,

F. Kunert, Red. Der 'Breslauer Nachrichten', Breslau[2] and ask them

for personal details which no doubt they would be glad to give you. Other addresses we have not got.

I will ask Tussy about that niece of Mohr's Paul has written about. I have not heard anything about her. Would be curious if you should turn out to be connected with little Abraham, vulgo Alexander, Weill!

Things are getting serious in Germany. The Kreuz-Zeitung, ultra- conservative, declares the Socialist law useless and bad! Well, we shall probably get rid of it, but Puttkamer's word will then become true: we shall have the major state of siège instead of the minor one, and cannons instead of expulsions.[3] Things go so well for us, we never dared to hope half so much, but, but, it will be stirring times and everything depends upon our men not allowing themselves to be provoked into riots. In three years we may have the agricultural labourer, the mainstay of Prussia, and then—feu[4] !

Ever yours

F. E.

We went to-day up to Highgate. Tussy had been already in the morn- ing, planted Mohr's and your Mama's grave with crocus, primroses, hyacinths, etc. very beautifully. If Mohr had lived to see this!

  1. ↑ In the MS 'February' mistake
  2. ↑ Wraclaw
  3. ↑ The reference is to R. Puttkamer's election speech at Stolpe on 31 January 1890, against a repeal of the Anti-Socialist law (see note 52). In it he expressed the hope that the army and the Civil Service, loyal to the government, would be guarantors of order (Ordnung) in Germany. However Puttkamer did not rule out the government having to impose a major state of siege (instead of a 'minor' one). The minor state of 'siege' was envisaged by Clause 28 of the Anti-Socialist Law; the governments of German states, with the consent of the Federal Council, could impose a stage of siege for one year in certain districts and localities. In this case no meeting or assembly could take place without permission of the police; it was forbidden to circulate printed matter in public places; politically unreliable persons were to be deported from a given locality; the right to have or hold arms, their import and sale were prohibited or restricted.
  4. ↑ fire