Letter to Nikolai Danielson, March 5, 1895

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 5 March 1895


First published, in Russian, in Minuvshiye gody, No. 2, 1908
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 50


ENGELS TO NIKOLAI DANIELSON

IN ST. PETERSBURG

London, 5 March 1895
41 Regent's Park Road, N. W.

My dear Sir, I am very sorry, in reply to your kind letter of Jan. 29th, to inform you that our author[1] has not left any manuscripts relating to his views upon, and deductions from the state of landed property in Russia such as might be useful to the Russian translator. 527 All I have been able to find

[2]

are simple and very voluminous extracts from Russian sources statistical and generally economical, but, and this more or less against his habit, not interspersed with observations of his own.

I enclose you a letter received from Berlin for you, and am requested by the Mr. Engels mentioned in it to complete it by the following bits of information. Mr. Engels received some time ago an inquiry from a Dr. Lux who writes on economic subjects: whether the Essays[3] were worth translating, and if so, would he do something to assist the publication of a German translation? to which he replied, that he was very desirous of seeing a German translation brought out, and that not only would he recommend the same for publication to Dietz, but also very gladly write an article upon it, when brought out, in the Neue Zeit, pointing out the importance of the results of your inquiries, but at the same time also stating that he differed from some of the conclusions arrived at by you. At the same time he stated, that he, Engels, had no right whatever to authorise a translation, but that the translator, a friend of Dr. Lux, had better apply to you direct for your permission. To avoid indiscretion, he insisted that the letter to you should be sent through him.

The translator, a young Russian[4] in Berlin, was said to be capable of undertaking the work (Dr. Lux's wife is a Russian lady), and Dr. Lux has promised to revise the German text in order to insure correctness. The translator is also said to have occupied himself with economical subjects, so as to be no stranger to the contents of your book.

The letter enclosed seems to assume that your consent has already been given, at least I cannot find in it any trace of a formal request to you to that effect. I know that some young Russians abroad[5] are of opinion that such is an unnecessary formality, but such is not my opinion, and if you feel inclined to entertain at all Mr. Konov's proposal, I think a hint in that direction might do the young man good.

As to myself I know nothing at all of the intended translation.

If you will kindly send me your reply to Mr Konov, I will see that it is forwarded at once. 528

Yours very sincerely

L. K.[6]

  1. ↑ Karl Marx
  2. ↑ a Nicholas II
  3. ↑ Nikolai-on. [Danielson N. Fr.], Essays (see FN p. 308)
  4. ↑ Andrei Konov
  5. ↑ [word in Russian]
  6. ↑ Engels used Louise Kautsky's initials for his pen name.