Letter to A. O. Rutson, July 12, 1871

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 12 July 1871


First publication of the fair copy. The rough copy was first published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVI, Moscow, 1935
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


MARX TO A. O. RUTSON[1]

IN LONDON

[London,] 12 July 1871

1 Modena Villas, Maitland Park, Haverstock Hill, N.W.

Sir,

I send you together with these lines the following publications of the General Council of the 'International':

1) 'Inaugural Address and Provisional Rules'. 2) 'Rules of the International Workingmen's Association' as definitively accepted by the Geneva Congress of 1866.

3) 'Resolutions of the Congress of Geneva, 1866, and the Congress of Brussels, 1868'.

4) 'Report of the General Council to the Brussels Congress'[2]

(Times, 9 September 1868).

5) 'The Belgian massacres'. 6) 'Address to the National Labour Union of the United States'. 7) 'Report of the Fourth Annual Congress, held at Basle 1869'.[3]

8) 'Irish Amnesty'.[4]

9) 'Lockout of the Building Trades at Geneva'.

10) 'Programme of the Fifth Annual Congress'.[5]

N.B. The meeting of this Congress was prevented by the Franco-Prussian War.[6]

11) Two Addresses on the Franco-Prussian War.[7]

12) Address on the 'Civil War in France'. 13) I enclose a written copy of the 'Address to Abraham Lincoln' and his reply.[8]

This list, though not complete, contains the most important documents published by the General Council.

An Address to the American Committee of the 'International'[9] —which is just printing—I shall forward you tomorrow.

Yours truly,

Karl Marx

A. O. Rutson, Esq.

  1. ↑ Marx wrote this letter in reply to A. O. Rutson, private secretary to Bruce, British Home Secretary. Rutson had asked Marx to send him copies of all official documents issued by the General Council of the International Working Men's Association.
  2. ↑ K. Marx, 'The Fourth Annual Report of the General Council of the International Working Men's Association'.
  3. ↑ K. Marx, 'Report of the General Council to the Fourth Annual Congress of the International Working Men's Association'.
  4. ↑ K. Marx, 'Draft Resolution of the General Council on the Policy of the British Government Towards the Irish Prisoners'.
  5. ↑ K. Marx, 'Programme for the Mainz Congress of the International'.
  6. ↑ On 17 May 1870 the General Council resolved to convene the Fifth Congress of the International in Mainz. However, the Congress was unable to meet owing to the Franco-Prussian War that broke out in July 1870 (see Note 40).
  7. ↑ K. Marx, 'First Address of the General Council of the International Working Men's Association on the Franco Prussian War'; K. Marx, 'Second Address of the General Council of the International Working Men's Association on the Franco Prussian War'.
  8. ↑ This refers to the 'Address to Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America' (see present edition, Vol. 20) written by Marx on the occasion of Lincoln's re-election as President. The Address was forwarded to Lincoln through Adams, the American envoy to London. On 28 January 1865, Adams, on behalf of Lincoln, handed over the reply to the Address of the Central (General) Council. It was published in The Times on 6 February 1865.
  9. ↑ K. Marx, 'Mr. Washburne, the American Ambassador, in Paris'.