Letter to Pyotr Lavrov, February 14, 1884

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 14 February 1884


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVII, Moscow, 1935
Printed according to the original
Translated from the French
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 47


ENGELS TO PYOTR LAVROV

IN PARIS

London, 14 February 1884

My dear Lavrov,

I have noted what you say about the Russian translation of the 2nd volume of Capital. I shall revert to this at the appropriate moment.[1]

As to the German edition, you will be aware that over there we are under threat from absolute despotism and that anything is liable to be suppressed. Marx never allowed himself to be inhibited by the legislation of the day; he always spoke his mind and it would be truly miraculous if the 2nd volume did not contain enough confiscable and suppressive material to fall foul of the law of 1878.[2] But that is a risk we must run and, as for myself, I certainly have no intention of watering anything down.

When TepMaHi) Aona-raH-B[3] was here[4] he told me that Nikolai Danielson wanted me to return him a book entitled Tpydu KoMUCciu djin u3CJihdoeamH XJIÜÖHOÜ npoMuiumuHocmu es Pocciu.'[5] I have now found several books on the marketing and production of grain: the title most closely resembling the one he quotes is Tpydu atccneduuiu, cmpnuceHHOu uMnepamopcKUMu BojibHUMh sKOHOMunecKUMb u PyccKUMb zeozpacßmecKUMb o6yu,ecmeaMU, ÖMH u3CJit>doeaHW xmômû mopzoenu u npou3eodumem>HOcmu eh Pocciu,'[6] Volume 2, 1870.

Might that be the book he is referring to? If so I shall return it to 27 MoHKa,[7] St Petersburg as soon as I have your confirmation.

I hope to send off your books[8] next week; I have kept some of them. If I find I don't need them for the 2nd volume, I shall despatch them to you later.

Yours ever,

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Replying on 9 February to Engels' enquiry about the possibility of publishing a Russian translation of the second volume of Capital in Russia (see Note 155), Pyotr Lavrov wrote that the Russian revolutionaries had decided to bring out this translation 'by all means' and that, should it be confiscated, the book would be put out abroad.
    The first Russian edition of the second volume of Capital appeared in St Petersburg on 11 January 1886 with a preface by Nikolai Danielson and in his translation. The year of publication printed on the title page was 1885.
  2. ↑ The Exceptional Law Against the Socialists (Gesetz gegen die gemeingefährlichen Bestrebungen der Sozialdemokratie — the Law against the Harmful and Dangerous Aspirations of Social Democracy) was introduced by the Bismarck government, supported by the majority in the Reichstag, on 21 October 1878 to counter the socialist and workers' movement. This law, better known as the Anti-Socialist Law, made the Social-Democratic Party of Germany illegal, banned all party and mass workers' organisations, and the socialist and workers' press; on the basis of this law socialist literature was confiscated and Social Democrats subjected to reprisals. However, during its operation the Social-Democratic Party, assisted by Marx and Engels, uprooted both reformist and anarchist elements and managed to substantially strengthen and widen its influence among the people by skilfully combining illegal and legal methods of work. Under pressure from the mass workers' movement, the Anti-Socialist Law was abrogated on 1 October 1890. For Engels' assessment of this law, see his article 'Bismarck and the German Working Men's Party' (present edition, Vol. 24, pp. 407-09).
  3. ↑ (Russ.) Hermann Lopatin
  4. ↑ See this volume, p. 59.
  5. ↑ Proceedings of the Committee of Inquiry into Bakeries in Russia.
  6. ↑ (Russ.) Trudy... (Papers of an Expedition Sponsored by the Imperial Free Economic and Russian Geographical Societies for Studying Grain Cultivation and the Grain Trade in Russia).
  7. ↑ (Russ.) Moika St.
  8. ↑ See this volume, p. 88.