| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 15 July 1882 |
ENGELS TO EDUARD BERNSTEIN
IN ZURICH
London, 15 July 1882
Dear Mr Bernstein,
I am replying to your last letter straight away as there would otherwise be a 3 days' gap on account of the Sunday postal arrange- ments.
I was shown the Mehringiad[1] by an acquaintance here and at once recognised both author and prompter. Ever since the time his plans for the Sozialdemokrat went so completely awry because of the presence of yourself and Bebel, Hirsch has been working himself up into a ludicrous rage against the 'Zurich people'. We have often enough given him the broadest hints to the effect that we were not in accord with him in this respect; rather, anything he did, he did on his own responsibility, but this has helped only to the extent that he doesn't pester us with his lamentations. He has, by the way, been back in Paris (on sufferance) for some considerable time, and last Saturday (8 July) married a certain Miss Lina Haschert.
As for the actual contents of the thing, there is no reason for us to intervene. Mehring has treated the world to so many lies about us that, were we to deny just one of them, it would be tantamount to an admission that all the rest were true. For years we have let all this mendacious tittle-tattle pass unheeded, unless absolute necessity com- pelled us to reply. Our people have the Volks-Zeitung at their disposal, so all that is needed is a communication to the effect that an article of mine, signed by me, appeared in the Sozialdemokrat of? June.[2]
That is the best way to reply. You yourself can, of course, also refer to it in the Sozialdemokrat as you intended, and say that Marx and I always agree beforehand on any public move we make. I'm very glad that the article in the Sozialdemokrat appeared at this precise moment; it will knock all these inanities on the head.
On the other hand I think you would be well advised to leave Höchberg out of it. After all, he simply wants to appear as a private individual and hence will be able to conduct his own defence if he thinks it necessary. I don't know whether it would be doing him a ser- vice to rake up the old affair of the Jahrbuch article, etc.[3] — should there be doubts within the party about our position, we might be com- pelled to revert to it, though I for one think it quite unnecessary.
Since Marx leads a completely secluded existence in Argenteuil and keeps his presence there as secret as possible, he has seen nothing of Hirsch, at least so far as I know, nor is he in any way anxious to do so. Marx needs peace and quiet, and I shall not therefore bother him with all this business before it proves absolutely necessary, i. e. before Hirsch forms any further cabals.
Kautsky has written me one, indeed two, long letters about everything under the sun. However, as I have already told you,[4] I no longer have the time for such lengthy correspondence and to be able to investigate and reply to this or that I should, what's more, actually have to embark on specialised studies. That is the whole reason for my silence.
I know absolutely nothing of value about Chartism. If I could persuade our old friend Harney in Boston (ex-editor of The Northern Star) to write a history of Chartism, he would be the man.
Kindest regards.
Yours,
F. Engels
I myself have been so much out of touch with Hirsch that I have no occasion whatever to give him my views on this business. If occasion arose, I should of course do so.