Letter to Friedrich Kapp, December 9, 1848

MECW Note: Marx—at the time editor of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung—wrote this letter in reply to Friedrich Kapp, a German National-Liberal, who was copperating with the newspaper, about the delay in the payment of royalties that were due to him. Acting on Marx's advice, on 11 December 1848 Kapp presented a promissory note to the newspaper, but it was not paid. Later Marx reimbursed the required sum to him.

Marx wrote the address on the envelope: M. Fr. Kapp. Paris. Avenue Breutell 28

TO FRIEDRICH KAPP[1] IN PARIS

Cologne, 9 December [1848]

My dear Kapp,

I have exhausted all means of making the wretched dispatch office pay up. Now I would advise you to draw, in common with Dronke, and perhaps in his name, a bill for 35 thaler on the dispatch office of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung here. It will be forced to pay then. I would have sent you money long ago had I not been bled white by the shareholders lately—they knew I would pay, up to the last penny, under the present circumstances. You have no idea of the meanness of these bourgeois. Tell Dronke I appeared at the editorial office for the first time, and only for a few minutes, in three or four days today, for a serious indisposition had kept me at home. But for this, I would already have written to him. Give him and Rosanis my warm regards.

Yours,

K. Marx

  1. Kapp, Friedrich (1824-1884)—German historian, lawyer and politician, member of the Reichstag (1872-78), National Liberal, later member of the Party of Progress. (MECW)