Manchester, 8 January 1851 

Dear Marx, 

Herewith Post Office Order for £1, particu.ars as before. My 
buyer*—our clerk—having apparently paid out a great deal of 
late, seems anxious not to take too much money from the firm all 
at once. He is rather reluctant—I don’t press him overmuch, cela 
se concoit. I myself have been involved in very heavy outlays as a 
result of my trip to London,** otherwise I would gladly send you 
the whole amount; as it is, I must for today confine myself to 
fulfilling the obligation of an ordinary consicner and send you half 
the amount in part payment. The second half will follow—at the 
latest—in the early part of February, perhaps sooner; as soon, 
that is, as the firm sends my old man a letter containing the 
payments made to me. 

Jones was up here and bearded his opponents at a public MEETING 
in their own den.** Leach and Donovan opposed him. The 
debate, however, wasn’t quite what I had expected. Petty 
stratagems on both sides; much chronique scandaleuse’ which partly 
made up for the absence of some of London’s amenities. On 

a Pun on the French words grand (great) and gros (big). - > in miniature - 
© Probably an allusion to the fact that Müller-Tellering came from Coblenz. - 4 This 
presumably concerns the Historischer und geographischer Atlas von Europa belonging to 
Marx, who had instructed Engels to sell it. - © as is understandable - f tittle-tattle 

Jones’ part, superiority of rhetorical talent. Leach, on the other 
hand, tremendously imvertursaste but at times abysmally absurd. 
Donovan, a common, intriguing, local panjandrum. Jones, by the 
way, because of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung* and my presence, was 
compelled to proclaim himself a rep repustican and supporter of the 
NATIONALISATION OF LANDED property, While Leach, on the other hand, 
took his stand as the wholehearted representative of the co. 
OPERATIVE societies, insofar as they reject political agitation. These 
societies, incidentally, would now seem to be very numerous in 
Lancashire, and Jones and his friends are afraid that, if some sort 
of alliance were formed between them and the Chartists, they 
would gain control of the Chartist Movement. This circumstance 
explains many of the concessions Harney thought fit to make 
them. 

The success of Jones’ performance here was all that could be 
expected; he put forward as the point to be decided between 
himself and the Manchester Chartist Council the question of 
recognising the Executive in London; the votes were evenly 
divided, although Leach and Co. had had about 3 hours in which 
to fetch their people to the meeting and a crowd of them had duly 
turned up. At the beginning, when the company was simply a 
random gathering (Leach had counted on Jones’ not arriving 
before 9 o’clock but, much to the former’s chagrin, he was there as 
early as 8), Jones was given an enthusiastic reception. 

When in the company of Chartists whom he wishes to win over 
or attach more closely to his person, Jones is by no means as naive 
as he is with us. HE Is very wide awake. Perhaps a little too much 
so—at least, the likes of us ‘notice the design’. 

One of Harney’s friends here is a boring Scotsman of infinite 
sensibilities and hence interminable speeches; a second is a small, 
resolute, aggressive lad, about whose intellectual capacity I have 
not yet made up my mind; a third, a man whom Harney did not 
mention to me, one Robertson, seems to me to be far and away 
the most intelligent. I shall try to start up a small club with these 
fellows, or organise regular meetings to discuss the Manifesto with 
them. Harney and Jones have a host of friends here, and 
O’Connor a host of hidden enemies but, until he makes a 
downright fool of himself in public, it won’t be possible to bring 
about his—official—downfall here. At the meeting, by the way, 

a Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Politisch-konomische Revue - » Goethe, Torquato Tasso, 3. 
Auszug, 1. Austritt. - © K. Marx and F. Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party. 

Jones referred to him and Reynolds with the scantest possible 
respect. 

Recently my brother-in-law* told me some good news concern- 
ing myself: my prospective American partner was in London and 
from a conversation between the two of them it transpired that I 
was not the man to be of use to his firm. Thus America is put off 
pretty well indefinitely, since. no fresh plan can now be hatched 
without my consent. 

Best regards to your wife and children. 

Your 
F. E.