Letter to Karl Marx, November 25, 1850

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 25 November 1850


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 1, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 1, 1929
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 38, pp. 243-244

TO MARX IN LONDON

[Manchester,] 25 November 1850

Dear Marx,

I am writing today just to tell you that I am unfortunately still not in a position to send you the £2 I promised you for today in my last letter.[1] Ermen[2] has gone away for a few days and, since no proxy has been authorised with the bank, we are unable to make any remittances and have to content ourselves with the few small payments that happen to come in. The total amount in the cash box is only about £4 and you will therefore realise that I must wait a while. As soon as Ermen returns I shall at once send you the money. I trust the first remittance arrived safely.

Schramm's[3] behaviour is really despicable.

The Harney business is indeed extremely ominous. If they are actually determined to arrest him, changing the paper's name won't help.[4] [5] Nor can he give it up altogether, and if this paper falls into the category liable to stamp duty, I can't see any possibility at all of bringing out an unstamped political weekly. In any case, he'd do better to omit his 'LABOUR RECORD' from page 8, this being NEWS and unquestionably subject to stamp duty. But from what you write it would seem that, in Jones' opinion, the content of his analytical articles is equally liable to be stamped. And that would be the limit.

So the outraged Schramm, to judge by Mr Seiler's begging letter, would seem to be again on the best of terms with his brother[6] and even showing him some égards[7] !

I hope your wife is feeling better. Warm regards to her and the rest of your family from your

F. E.


In the course of this week I shall send your wife a parcel of COTTON THREAD which I hope she will find to her liking.


[On the back of the letter]

Charles Marx Esq.

64 Dean Street. Soho Square. London

  1. ↑ Engels' letter to Marx mentioned here has not been found.
  2. ↑ Peter Ermen
  3. ↑ Conrad Schramm
  4. ↑ The Red Republican
  5. ↑ Stamp duty on newspapers introduced in 1712 was a source of state revenue and the means of fighting the opposition press. In 1836 Parliament was compelled to reduce it and in 1855 to abolish it altogether. Harney was accused of not paying stamp duty on The Red Republican.
  6. ↑ Rudolf Schramm
  7. ↑ consideration