Letter to Karl Marx, April 6, 1869

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 6 April 1869


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 4, Berlin 1931
Published in English in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO MARX[1]

IN LONDON

Manchester, 6 April 1869

Dear Moor,

Liebknecht has again had the good luck of fools. The vote of 6,500 against 4,500 was a tremendous defeat for Schweitzer,[2] even if it was not a direct victory for Wilhelm. The Kölner Zeitung says that Schweitzer was frightfully dismayed, and though he had declared earlier that he would resign if any sort of considerable minority were to vote against him, he has taken a lot of care not to do so.[3]

In any case, Schweitzer's campaign for the kingdom of the tailors has failed, and his position in his own association has been shaken severely. N'est pas dictateur qui veut.[4] The process of the disintegration of specific Lassalleanism has thus begun, and is bound to continue rapidly. The figures 6,500:4,500 mean either a split or abandonment of the 'strict' organisation and Schweitzer's personal leadership. So far Liebknecht's foolhardiness has had a good effect. And under these circumstances I shall not take it amiss that he has let himself in for a new armistice,[5] although this is the third case between the two of them of 'cad's fighting, when ended, is very soon mended'.

The copies of Zukunft follow enclosed. Unfortunately, the Reichstag debate on industrial legislation is very poorly reported in them. There is nothing more comical than Schweitzer's lecture on the socialist demands, culminating in the declaration that he favours trades freedom[6] up to Wagener, Miquel et Co.[7]

Simply childish babble. Best by far was Bebel.

I am sending the B. Becker[8] to Lessner today. I hear that the latest Fortnightly has an article on it.[9]

I shall send you the Zukunft on Schweitzer and Liebknecht, and immediately if there is anything more in it; I assume that Liebknecht sent them a report straight away.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ This letter was first published in English in an abridged form in: Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Selected Letters. The Personal Correspondence, 1844-1877, Ed. by F. J. Raddatz, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto, 1981.
  2. ↑ A reference to the dispute between Liebknecht, Bebel and Schweitzer at the congress of the General Association of German Workers held in Barmen-Elberfeld on 28-31 March 1869 (see Note 311). Bebel and Liebknecht accused Schweitzer of having contacts with the Bismarck Government and of attempts to prevent the formation of a united workers' party in Germany. The congress showed that Schweitzer's authority had been undermined: 14 delegates representing 4,635 of the Association's members refused to give him a vote of confidence, while 42 delegates with 7,400 votes gave such a vote. The congress adopted a number of resolutions aimed at restricting Schweitzer's dictatorial powers and making the internal life of the Association more democratic: in addition to the President, it was to be headed by a board of twelve members and its seat was to be in Hamburg. A proposal was moved to convene a Social-Democratic congress in Germany with a view to 'founding a united organisation'. On Schweitzer's suggestion, it was resolved to establish closer contacts with the International to the extent permitted by the German law. In fact, however, the Association's leadership continued to pursue a sectarian policy and obstruct the affiliation of the Association with the International.
  3. ↑ Die Zukunft wrote about this statement by Schweitzer on 2 April 1869: 'It should be noted that Herr von Schweitzer had earlier stated unambiguously that if even the most insignificant minority should refuse to grant him confidence, he would immediately resign. It seems, however, that he changed his mind again after the voting.'
  4. ↑ Not everyone who wishes is a dictator. A paraphrase from Victor Hugo's Napoleon le petit.
  5. ↑ On 3 April 1869, the political affairs section of Demokratisches Wochenblatt, No. 14, reported: 'Since now there is every reason to hope for, if not the influence, then at least the unification of the various factions of Social-Democracy, we shall henceforth refrain from attacking Herr von Schweitzer in the Demokratisches Wochenblatt so as not to obstruct the unification. We assume, naturally, that the other side will terminate its attacks against us.'
  6. ↑ J. B. Schweitzer, [Speech in the North German Diet, 17 March, 1869], Die Zukunft, No. 66, 19 March, 1869.
  7. ↑ H. Wagener, [Speech in the North German Diet, 17 March, 1869], Die Zukunft, No. 66, 19 March, 1869; J. Miquel, [Speech in the North German Diet, 18 March 1869], Die Zukunft, No. 67, 20 March, 1869.
  8. ↑ B. Becker, Enthüllungen über das tragische Lebensende Ferdinand Lassalle's...
  9. ↑ J. M. Ludlow, 'Ferdinand Lassalle, the German Social Democrat', The Fortnightly Review, Vol. V, No. XXVIII, 1 April 1869.