Letter to Karl Marx, January 9, 1883

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 9 January 1883


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 for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 46


ENGELS TO MARX

IN VENTNOR

London, 9 January 1883

Dear Moor,

In great haste I am sending you the following enclosures: 1. Lafargue, 2. Bebel, 3. Hepner,[1] of which I should like to have 2. and 3. back.

So at last there has been a report on Jenny's condition from which one can tell how matters really stand. In my opinion the case isn't as bad as it looks; the poor child has allowed herself to grow unduly weak as a result of over-exertion and her distaste for medical treatment, but she will soon pick up again under Laura's management. I at once sent Laura £15, the last five being intended to give Laura a somewhat freer hand when she visits Jenny and buys things for her. Until Jenny is able to run her house again, Johnny ought certainly to remain over here.

Bebel's information on German industry is interesting, though it strikes me that one ought to take it cum grano salis.[2] What are expanding are for the most part the luxury industries and possibly mechanical weaving—though in the latter case export opportunities are restricted by the tariffs on yarn. Since the annexation of Alsace they have had more spindles than they need as also, since 1870, ironworks, so how can big industry as such expand to any great extent? Moreover the fact that beet sugar has made such an impression on him suggests a narrow view. The circumstance that the state pays for the profits of the sugar-manufacturing Junkers has already been debated in the Landtag.

Hepner. What do you make of the little Jew's proposal (obviously at the insistence of his associé[3] Jonas) to hold a pistol to our heads as regards a preface to the Manifesto? In my view, either one completely ignores insolent letters like these or at most refers him to the preface of the Leipzig edition[4] ; if that isn't good enough for him he ought to leave the Manifesto unprinted.

If you write to Sorge about Hartmann[5] (supposing that you have not already done so) you might slip in a line or two about little Hepner.

Time for the post—I had to go into town to see to the money and then get it off, have therefore been delayed.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ The writing of Anti-Dühring, which Engels began in late May 1876, caused him to postpone a number of scientific works he was planning or had already started, notably the Dialectics of Nature (see also Note 169).
  2. ↑ with a grain of salt
  3. ↑ partner
  4. ↑ K. Marx and F. Engels, 'Preface to the 1872 German Edition of the Manifesto of the Communist Party.
  5. ↑ Lev Hartmann