[London, 26 February 1851] 

Dear Engels, 

I am sending you Pieper’s and Schramm’s< letters so that you 
may learn the facts from the actual participants. This is the best 
way for you to form your own opinion. Incomprehensible lacheté* 
on the part of the 200 FraTerna. murderers who discharged their 
revolutionary energies upon two individuals, incomprehensible 
lacheté on the part of our pear,’ of Landolphe, of Louis Blanc, etc., 
who calmly looked on, memorising their fraternal slogans. 

One further point from Schramm’s conversation with Harney: 
Harney emphasised that Schapper was a ‘long-standing acquain- 
tance’ of his, and had been on the most intimate terms with him 
while we were in Brussels. 

Apropos! Messrs L. Blanc & Co. had already sent a complete report 
of the meeting to a Paris paper the day before.>™ 

a That’s worth, or shortly will be worth, an extra £5 a month, apart from future 
increments. - > See this volume, pp. 282, 284. - © Conrad Schramm - 4 cowardice - 
© i.e. Fraternal Democrats - f Harney 

Legal proceedings would ruin L. Blanc. You can imagine what a 
feast it would be for The Times, more especially as Barthélemy, the 
galérien, the meurtrier, etc., would appear as the accused and 
provocateur 4@ Uassassinat.” For in the middle of the brawl, 
Barthélemy said pointing to Schramm: ‘C'est un infame, il faut 
lécraser.” 

Nothing but ill can come of litigation: Harney’s and Jones’ 
projected paper in the soup, Harney and the Fraternats in the 
soup, The Times will be jubilant, Pieper will lose his job (he’s 
magnanimous enough not to bother about it), and Schramm, 
etc., will end up by having to take on all the Chartists at once. 
Que faire?" I shall discuss this tomorrow with Jones. Friend 
Harney, like Schapper, seems to count on the whole affair 
quietly blowing over. Hence he has thought it not worth his 
while to take the necessary steps with regard to us or to 
make the necessary concessions. In this way the jackass is ag- 
gravating the situation. One can’t allow this dirty business to go 
unavenged. 

If Harney writes to you, there’s one thing you must guard 
against. In your letter you dwell too much on Ledru’s and Blanc’s 
theoretical criticism. Harney now makes out that we demanded 
that he should form part of our queue.’ Hence, what above all 
must be pointed out to him is that: 

1. the one and only issue is his relationship with Schapper and 
Willich, in that he has constituted himself the supporter of our 
immediate, personal, rascally foes and, in the eyes of Germany, 
has thrown what weight he has into the scales for them against us. 
And did he not together with us break off all connections with Vidil, 
with Barthélemy and with Willich in writing?*” How, then, could he 
resume them without us, behind our backs, and against our wishes! If 
that is Fair its beyond me. 

2. He has disavowed us in that, after the incident with Schramm 
and Pieper, he failed to make immediate public amends at the 
meeting and then withdraw forthwith. Instead of which he 
did everything to make out to his friends that the thing was irrel- 
evant. 

Enclosed Dronke’s letter. You must write and tell him im detail 
about the whole mummery, including the most recent affair. I 
have masses to write to Cologne, Hamburg, etc. 

4 convict sentenced to the galleys; murderer - > inciter to murder - ¢ ‘He’s infamous, 
he must be crushed.’- 4 What's to be done? -¢ See this volume, pp. 287, 
299. - f retinue 

If today’s letter hasn’t been stamped, you must excuse me. It is 
too late to go out for stamps, and it is essential that the letter be 
posted this evening. 

Your 
K. Marx