Letter to Friedrich Engels, September 8, 1871

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 8 September 1871


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. IV, Stuttgart, 1913
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


MARX TO ENGELS

IN RAMSGATE

[London,] 8 September 1871

Dear FRED,

Allsop's address is Pegwell Bay. No number has been given nor is it needed. EVERYBODY WILL TELL YOU THE WHEREABOUTS OF Pegwell Bay. It is a good thing that you can speak to him since he is coming to London on Tuesday[1] with the money and has invited me to come and see him there. I have written to him at length and made it clear that I can only continue TO BE THE aumônier OF HIMSELF AND his FRIENDS if I am allowed complete freedom of action AND am NOT BOTHERED WITH THE DEMAND TO PRODUCE LISTS OF THE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF DISTRESS of the refugees.[2]

What do you think of our honourable Favre? The lousy London press now has to report its own disgrace by telegraph.

Last Monday L'Avenir liberal—journal bonapartiste, publié à Paris—reported my death.[3]

In consequence we have received a number of letters; among others, Dronke wrote to my wife today, and Imandt too sent the Dundee Advertiser which contained the same nonsense. À demain[4] CALL UPON ME AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL AT LONDON. Regards to the WHOLE FAMILY.

Your

K. M.

Rochat does a splendid imitation of Frankel's French.

The Evening Standard of 6 September only published the letter to the EDITOR, adding the note: 'WE HAVE RECEIVED NO ENCLOSURE.'

I did not see the stuff until yesterday. Since the letters to the fellows were in your handwriting[5] I got my wife to write to them at once in her own name, on the pretext that I was out of London for a few days. She has sent the Public Opinion (and REGISTERED the letter), and demanded that it be printed together with an apologie, under threat of legal proceedings. She put in an 'old' card with it, which reads: 'Mme Jenny Marx, née Baronesse de Westphalen', which will be bound to put fear into those Tories.

  1. ↑ 12 September
  2. ↑ In his letter to Marx of 7 September 1871 Allsop proposed that they meet on 12 September to discuss the question of assistance to the Paris Commune refugees; he also asked Marx to make a list of those who were in particular need.
  3. ↑ L'Avenir libéral, No. 376, 5 September 1871.
  4. ↑ Until tomorrow.
  5. ↑ See this volume, p. 201.