Marx-Engels Correspondence 1859
Source: MECW Volume 40, p. 551;
First published: abridged in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in: Marx and Engels, Works, Moscow, 1929.
Dear Engels,
My best thanks for the £5. You can imagine how opportune it was, for in a day or two my wife has to pay an instalment to some fellow at the County Court. Yesterday I attempted one last family coup which may, perhaps, succeed. In which case there would be a chance of our being able to breathe again.
In Russia the movement is progressing better than anywhere else in Europe. On the one hand the constitutionalism of the aristocracy versus the Tsar, on the other of the peasants versus the aristocracy. Moreover, having at long last realised that the Poles have not the least inclination to be dissolved in Slav-Russian nationality, Alexander blustered frightfully. Thus the extraordinary successes of Russian diplomacy during the past 15 years, notably, since 1849, are more than counter-balanced. Come the next revolution and Russia will oblige by joining in.
You have, I imagine, read Bonaparte’s uneasy document addressed to the préfets in which he demands that exact returns be made of, inter alia, all respectable Orleanists, Legitimists, republicans and socialists, but more especially of ‘reliable’ Bonapartists?
From the enclosed note you will see that that louse, Juch — proprietor of the Hermann — feels entitled to approach me about the Stieber affair. The rotten swine had deleted from Eichhoff’s denunciation of Stieber in the Hermann everything relating to our trial, the ‘small, insignificant party’ being alluded to only en passant, I shall give the low scoundrel a proper dressing-down while, of course, doing everything in my power to damage that rascal Stieber. Eichhoff, by the by, was simply a tool where all these Stieber revelations were concerned. The business originated with ex-policeman Duncker in Berlin, whose removal in 1848 was largely brought about by Stieber’s yapping from the democratic camp. From then on Duncker got his private police to watch Stieber’s every step until he finally thought the moment had come for him to be kicked out. Furthermore, that ass Eichhoff was stupid enough to show his ass’s ears in his last article from Berlin in the Hermann in which he wound up his denunciations against Stieber — with what? With the request of the restitutio in integrum of virtuous Police Superintendent Duncker.
Nothing but fools and rapscallions, all these chaps, against whom Freiligrath bears no grudge, even if they do ‘take liberties with his name’.
Under all circumstances I hope to see you here for some days.
Regards to Lupus.
Salut.
Your
K. M.
Little Jenny has made a copy of a Raphael Madonna especially for you, and of 2 wounded French soldiers for Lupus.