Letter to Friedrich Adolph Sorge, January 17, 1891

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 17 January 1891


First published in Briefe und Auszüge aus Briefen von Joh. Phil. Becker, Jos. Dietzgen, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx u. A. an F.A. Sorge und Andere, Stuttgart, 1906
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 49


ENGELS TO FRIEDRICH ADOLPH SORGE

IN HOBOKEN

[London,] 17 January 1891

Dear Sorge,

Herewith the 4th edition of Capital[1] (registered) and a parcel of newspapers. As Sam Moore is doubtless already on his way back to Europe from the Niger—6 months' furlough every 2 years—various things he has been getting hitherto will now become available for you, viz. the Berliner Volks-Tribüne, which was set on a pretty good course by little Conrad Schmidt and has not as yet been ruined by Paul Ernst, and the Cri du Travailleur which reprints the main items from Le Socialiste. Also a Vorwärts[2] with our revelations about Mr Reuß.

Constant snow and ice since 25 November. The water pipes under the street have been frozen for the past 5 days and we're having no end of trouble over our water. No. 17 of the Neue Zeit will contain a bombshell, to wit Marx's critique of the draft programme of 1875.[3]

You'll be delighted, but it will cause rage and indignation among a good many people in Germany.

Regards to your wife[4] and to the Schlüters and Romms when you see them.

Your

F.E.

  1. ↑ the fourth German edition of the first volume of Capital
  2. ↑ The first Congress of German Social-Democracy to be held after the repeal of the Anti-Socialist Law met in Halle between 12 and 18 October 1890. It was attended by 413 delegates and 17 guests. The congress endorsed the new party Rules adapted to the task of turning the party, under the conditions of legality, into a mass working-class organisation. It abandoned the party's hitherto operative, Lassallean programme and, on Liebknecht's proposal, decided to have a new programme drafted for the next party congress, which was to be held in Erfurt, and published three months before the congress for discussion by local party organisations and in the press. The congress also discussed the party press (Berliner Volksblatt was made the central organ) and the party's stance on strikes and boycotts. The party adopted the name Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social-Democratic Party of Germany).
  3. ↑ K. Marx, Critique of the Gotha Programme. It was published in Die Neue Zeit, No. 18 and not No. 17 as had been planned.
  4. ↑ Katharina Sorge