Letter to Jenny Marx, August 15, 1870

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 15 August 1870


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. IV, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 4, Berlin, 1931
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


ENGELS TO JENNY MARX[1]

IN RAMSGATE

Manchester, 15 August 1870

Dear Mrs Marx,

Today I was at the bank I had given to Smith as a reference and I heard there by chance that he had finally condescended to ask for information. What he found out (namely, that the bank would guarantee ten times the sum concerned, if it were required) will doubtless satisfy him.[2] I suppose I shall now hear from him soon. I am very glad that I do not have to write first to that stupid aristocrat of a LANDLORD whose SEAT near Bolton seems to be a diminutive affair in the middle of the factory smoke. The fellow is obviously off shooting GROUSE on the moors nearby and will certainly be in just the mood to enter into business correspon- dence with TENANTS. The ass obviously wanted to make himself feel important.

In view of the present situation in France, where everything may be overturned any day—and probably will be in a week or two—it is of course risky to take a house and furnish it for 3 V2 years. However, it is a risk that must be taken. It seems to me that the Orleanists now want an interim republic like that of 1848 directed by themselves, in the hope that such a republic would suffer the obloquy of having to conclude a peace, thus ensuring that the Crown would go to their Orléans as the only possible dynasty left. However, this strategy can easily misfire.

The worst thing is: who could possibly take over leadership of a genuine revolutionary movement in Paris? Rochefort is the most popular and the only suitable man—Blanqui seems to be forgotten.

That Barbes is dead is a blessing. The 'Beard of the Party' would spoil everything again. Enfin, nous verrons.[3]

I have been very lucky with my articles.[4] Some few little prophecies which I made at a moment when they were certain, appeared in the press in time, so that they could be confirmed by the news the next morning. Such things are pure luck and impress the philistines enormously.

Who wrote the article that appeared recently under the name of 'von Thunder-ten-Tronckh' in which the English philistines were so bluntly told the truth?[5] In general, it is remarkable what tremendous qualities the English are suddenly able to discover in the Germans, and how they are all at Bonaparte's throat, having lain in the dust at his feet only four weeks ago. There is no greater rabble than the honnêtes gens.[6]

Unfortunately, I have no time to write to Tussy today; would you please tell her that I shall be writing to Kugelmann in the next few days and shall enclose the relevant material.[7]

My wife[8] and I send you all our warmest regards and hope that the stay at the seaside will do you a world of good.

Yours,

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Engels wrote this letter in reply to Mrs Marx's letter of 10 August 1870 (see this volume, pp. 555-56).
  2. ↑ Marx means renting a house for Engels who intended to move from Manchester to London for good in September 1870 after retiring from the firm of Ermen & Engels. Jenny Marx took an active part in looking for a suitable house.
  3. ↑ Well, we shall see.
  4. ↑ F. Engels, Notes on the War, I VIII.
  5. ↑ The Pall Mall Gazette of 9 August 1870 carried the article 'England's Position' which was written in the form of a letter and signed with the pseudonym 'Von Thunder-ten-Tronckh' (Thunder-ten-Tronckh is a castle in Westphalia).
  6. ↑ respectable people
  7. ↑ Engels means the portrait of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, a Fenian leader, which Ludwig Kugelmann asked to be sent for a collection of Irish folk songs entitled Erins Harfe being prepared for publication by Joseph Risse. At the request of Marx's eldest daughter Jenny, Engels wrote short notes for the Preface (see present edition, Vol. 21, p. 140). However, neither Rossa's portrait nor Engels' notes appeared in the collection, which was published in Hanover in 1870.
  8. ↑ Lydia Burns