[London,] Saturday, | March 1851 

Dear Engels, 

You must have the most singular post-horses, seeing that all my 
letters reach you too late. 

As you will very well know, if you have given due attention to 
the letters you have received, everything you advise has already 
happened, with the exception of the box on the ears for 
Landolphe, which I do not consider a proper remedy. If anybody 
is to be done an injury, it must be the little HipHipHipHuRRAH Scots- 
man, George Julian Harney, and no other, and then it is Harney 
who will have to practise shooting. 

With both your letters to Harney in front of me,’ I sent the first, 
because in my opinion it was better written and more apt than the 
second, amended, edition. 

Both Harney and Landolphe have been sufficiently threatened 
with legal proceedings. Your fear that Landolphe would testify 
against Schramm unfounded. Rather, he will swear that he, as a 
committee member, was approached by Schramm before the 
scandal and asked to keep order among the gang. 

Since, then, the ‘threat’ of legal proceedings is of no avail, que 
faire” except quietly swallow blows, ‘spy’, and Schapper-Willich 
triumph! 

All your fears concerning scandal justified. But we, too, will 

4 See this volume, p. 306. - > what can be done 

have a sharp advocate on our side. A little disrepute, whether more 
or less, can be of no moment to Schramm. But if he lets the 
matter drop, now that the Church Street Frenchmen have 
become embroiled in it, he will be perdu* unless he either obtains 
public satisfaction from the Chartists or takes the matter to court. 
One thing or the other. 

Jones, as I told you in my letter, wasn’t at Monday’s mceting. I 
had arranged a meeting with him at my house, but as early as 
Tuesday rushed round to see him, didn’t find him in, left a note’ 
asking him to come without fail on Wednesday. Didn’t come. Went 
there on Thursday. Was turned away. Left a note of invitation. 
Didn’t come. Thursday evening I wrote him a lengthy letter **! 
calmly, simply and clearly setting forth the whole dirty business 
from the beginning, placing, for his benefit, the repulsive 
consequences in their perspective, demanding public satisfaction, 
and finally requesting him to call on me and discuss matters. 
Didn’t come, although he was in town, nor yet any written reply 
from him. So Jones has clearly been worked upon by that little 
Scottish intriguer, who is afraid of leaving him alone with me. You 
see, then, no prospect of public satisfaction from the Chartists. 
There only remains legal proceedings. Adviendra que pourra.” The 
only drawback being that Pieper will lose his job as a result and 
that we may well have plus ou moins‘ the whole of the Chartist 
mob at our heels. 

The introduction of an Aliens Bill**° would be the most fortunate 
event so far as we are concerned. Where would those jackasses be 
without a public demonstration every day? 

There's only one other way of settling the matter without 
creating an almighty scandal, and that is for you to come down, 
immediately and without delay.* You could stay with me, as I have 
now rented two additional rooms. There is, I definitely assure you, 
no other way. Letters confuse, delay and achieve nothing. 

Your 
K. M.