Letter to Ferdinand Freiligrath, January 11, 1850

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 11 January 1850


Source: Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 38, p. 224-225;
Published in English for the first time in Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, 1934

TO FERDINAND FREILIGRATH IN COLOGNE

London, 11 January [1850]

Dear Freiligrath,

Today I am writing you just a couple of lines on an urgent matter.

Both for our Revue and for its gradual transformation into a fortnightly and weekly and, if circumstances permit, back into a daily newspaper—and also for our other propagandist interests—we need money. Money is to be had only in America, where all the semi-revolutionaries—e.g. a certain Anneke who did an ignominious bunk in the Palatinate, thereby proving that he's not even a soldier—are now plucking the golden apples.

We have therefore decided to send C. Schramm to America forthwith, as our emissary. For the lengthy journey we have in mind we need at least 150 talers. While requesting you to collect contributions to that end with the utmost possible dispatch, we would at the same time request you to send by return letters of introduction for C. Schramm, manager of the N.Rh.Z. (restored to our party as a result of his daring escape from the Wesel fortress).

I have also written to G. Jung about the money matter.[1]

Awaiting an early reply.

Your
K. Marx


The Chartists and French réfugiés here are also giving mandates to our emissary. This is a League[2] matter. It is essential, my dear Freiligrath, that in your letter of introduction, you leave no doubt about the position of the N.Rh.Z. in Germany and its revolutionary significance.

  1. ↑ Marx's letter to Jung has not been found. Besides raising funds for the publication of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Politisch-ökonomische Revue and the projected resumption of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, Conrad Schramm's trip to the USA was aimed at raising funds for other activities of the Communist League, which was being reorganised by Marx and Engels. The trip did not take place for lack of funds. For his participation in the revolutionary movement Conrad Schramm (presumably a Communist League member since the beginning of 1849) was sentenced in Cologne on 15 June 1849 to two years' imprisonment in the fortress of Jülich. On 8 September 1849 he escaped from prison and emigrated to London, where he was elected to the Central Authority of the Communist League.
  2. ↑ Communist League