MARX TO ENGELS” 

[London,] 30 August 1873 

Dear Fren, 

Your~telegram* received; Serraillier arrived later on with 
Perret’s letter to Days in his pocket.” I couldn’t keep it for you 
because Days, who is secretary of the local Fenrra. Councit, needs 
to report on it on Tuesday.* However, Serraillier has promised to 
make a copie of it for you. The letter is classical; the ‘nimrrep’ 
powers or rather ‘pouvoirs illimité’ which the La Haye Congress ™”° 
granted to the Genera. Counci., must be withdrawn from it. On 
this point the Genévois—and ditto Mr Perret—-are agreed; for 
then there is some hope that des sections jurassiennes will go over to 
them. For years now this same Perret has been writing that these 
sections would go over to them if only the Genera Counc would 
proceed more energetically against the Jurassians! And of course 
everything is always looked at from the most bigoted and most 
parochial Swiss point of view. Furthermore, Frankel tells me that 
the same riff-raff are discontented with the resolutions passed at 
Olden, or whatever the place is called where the local Swiss 
congress met!” In the circumstances there can be absolutely no 
question of going to Geneva” on account of people like that, 
people who even refuse to accept mandates from English sections.” 
I think you would do well to send a counter-order to Hepner 
without delay; he will still receive the avis in time. 

Yesterday, a rew Hours before I wrote to you, je l’ai échappé belle,’ 
and can still feel the effects in all my bones. I drank a spoonful of 
raspberry vinegar and some of it stuck in my wind-pipe. I had a 
terrible choking-fit, my face went quite black, etc. Another second 
or so and I would have departed this life. The first thing that 
occurred to me post festum was whether it might not be possible to 
bring about such accidents artificially. It would be the most decent 
and least suspicious method, and moreover a highly expeditious 
one, of doing away with oneself. It would be a great service to the 
English if one could recommend the experiment publicly. 

a 3 September - > See this volume, p. 523. - © message - 4 I had a narrow escape - 
¢ subsequently 

Madame Longuet will arrive tomorrow, after all sorts of 
telegrams to and fro—it was very stormy in Boulogne. 

Apropos! Lafargue and Le Moussu have definitely split up.” It 
took place—the separation, that is—when Le Moussu declared his 
willingness to do so since reluctance was in evidence on the other 
side. Le Moussu is now counting on you. I think the separation is 
a good thing and had become a necessity for both sides, since a lot 
of time was wasted in this war between the frogs and mice.’” 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M. 

As for Serraillier, who couldn’t work for a week because he was 
unwell and who would have lost about another two weeks with the 
Geneva trip,”* I am very pleased that we have not given him any 
reason to accuse us later on of having ruined his whole business! 
You know how, where and when the Frenchman makes a habit of 
bringing to bear his ‘working-class nature’ against the ‘bourgeois’ 
in his own party. 

Have received a letter from Franga.””