Letter to Friedrich Engels, January 22, 1851

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 22 January 1851


First published: abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 1, 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. 265-266

TO ENGELS IN MANCHESTER

[London,] 22 January 1851

Dear Engels,

You are taciturne comme la mort![1] Enclosed I send you 1) a statement by Oswald Dietz in the Basle National-Zeitung against Pfänder and Bauer,[2] 2) a tattling article against us concocted by Mr A. Ruge in company with Struve and Willich.[3] You must return the garbage to me within two days at the latest, telling me what action you think we should take against No. 2. If you would like to draft some sort of statement, send it along as well. C. Schramm is going to issue his own statement.

What do you think of this coup de maître[4] by Atta Troll[5] and, entrenched behind him, that 'outstanding, resolute man, Struve', not to speak of the 'valiant Willich'. C'est un peu fort[6] . I happened to light upon the paper at Bamberger's. Who else would either read or know of the Bremer Tages-Chronik. Organ der Demokratie?

Bauer and Pfänder naturally won't answer and silence would, indeed, seem to be the most advisable course for them just now. I have as yet had no news, either from Schabelitz, who wished to take over our Revue[7] or from Becker, who was going to see to the publication of my essays.[8] None of my approaches to Mr Schuberth have so far been of any avail. If Haupt can find a lawyer who will take over the case, he will bring an action against him.[9]

What are Mary and Lizzy[10] doing? And above all you yourself? Harney was here one evening with Pieper, Eccarius, etc., and very gay, until his 'dear spouse'[11] —'half drew she him, half sank he in'[12] —carried him off almost by force.

Your

K. M.

  1. ↑ silent as the grave
  2. ↑ O. Dietz, 'An die deutschen Arbeiter-Verein', Schweizerische National-Zeitung, No. 5, 7 January 1851 (on the alleged appropriation of Educational Society funds by Heinrich Bauer and Carl Pfänder see this volume, pp. 245-46).
  3. ↑ A. Ruge, 'London, 13 January', Bremer Tages-Chronik, No. 474, 17 January 1851.
  4. ↑ master stroke
  5. ↑ Title character of Heine's satirical poem. Here meaning Arnold Ruge.
  6. ↑ It's a bit too much. The words quoted are from Ruge's article.
  7. ↑ Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Politisch-ökonomische Revue
  8. ↑ Marx has in mind negotiations concerning publication of his works started with Hermann Becker in December 1850. The first issue of Gesammelte Aufsätze von Karl Marx was published in Cologne in April 1851. It contained the article 'Comments on the Latest Prussian Censorship Instruction' and part of the first article 'Proceedings of the Sixth Rhine Province Assembly' (see present edition, Vol. 1, pp. 109-31 and 132-81), written by Marx in 1842. The edition was discontinued owing to Becker's arrest.
  9. ↑ Marx intended to bring an action against the Hamburg publisher Julius Schuberth to make him continue publication of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Politisch-ökonomische Revue.
  10. ↑ Sisters Mary and Lizzy Burns
  11. ↑ Mary
  12. ↑ Goethe, 'Der Fischer'.