Letter to Karl Marx, February 9, 1865

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 9 February 1865


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 3, Stuttgart, 1919
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 42


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 9 February 1865

Dear Moor,

Manuscript enclosed, now swollen to the dimensions of a full-sized pamphlet[1] and no doubt now quite unsuitable for the little paper.6 So far, it has only been very cursorily revised and will have to be gone through again. Regarding the military question, some statistics about the population fit for military service have yet to be inserted, and some more about the petty bourgeoisie at the end, which I quite forgot in the 'heat of battle'. You will notice, by the way, that the piece has been thrown together straight out of my head, without any kind of literary sources, since it had to be finished quickly. I now await your comments on it.

But where next with it? To Liebknecht or to Siebel, to find a publisher? What do you think? Best outside Prussia, probably, or do you think there is nothing in it that might lead to confiscation? I have lost all my instinct for the publishing situation in Prussia. Let me know your opinion on this point, too—the possibility of publication in Prussia.

Another S. D. (Sow's Dirt)[2] has just arrived. What a lot of feeble whining about the position of the party. No cut or thrust at all. For ever keeping the little back-door open for Bismarck. Peaceful collaboration! And then Moses,[3] who has come round to the point of view that the bourgeoisie and the government in France are vying with each other to do the right thing by the workers. France these days is a real paradise for Moses. It is a bit too much even for Schweitzer to stomach, he has put a? after it.

Should I leave that section in III in, about the present workers' movement?

It seems to me that Roon's speech really does imply compromise. The man is prepared to negotiate.[4] For that reason, the piece must come out fast. So, do let me know soon what you think with respect to publisher.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ The Prussian Military Question and the German Workers' Party
  2. ↑ Engels is referring to Der Social-Demokrat, No. 19, 8 February 1865, containing Schweitzer's article 'Die deutsche Social Demokratie' and Hess' article 'Paris, 4. Febr. [Neue Gesetzvorschläge betr. Cooperativ Associationen. Die internationale Arbeiter Association. Unterrichtsfrage]'.
  3. ↑ Moses Hess
  4. ↑ On 8 February 1865, War Minister Roon spoke in the Chamber of Deputies about his Bill on changes in and addenda to the Prussian law on military service. These changes signified minor concessions to the opposition bourgeois majority in the Chamber and did not resolve the constitutional conflict (see Note 100).