Speeches by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in Committee Meetings and General Assemblies of the Cologne Workers’ Association.
Reports
Committee Meeting of 16 October 1848.
No. 40, 22 October 1848
Newspaper of the Workers’ Association in Cologne.
The provisional President, Citizen Röser, stated that Dr Marx had acceded to the request of the deputation sent to him by the Association to place himself at the head of our Association, and he therefore asked him to take his seat.
Dr Marx. His position in Cologne was precarious. The reply he had received from ex-minister Kühlwetter to his application for renaturalisation was tantamount to a covert expulsion order. He would, however, lodge a protest against it with the National Assembly. On the other hand, he had been committed for trial before the assizes on a charge of an alleged press offence. Moreover, he was overwhelmed with work by the temporary dispersal of the editorial committee of the “Neue Rheinische Zeitung”. Nevertheless, he was prepared, provisionally, until the release of Dr Gottschalk, to comply with the wish of the workers. The government and the bourgeoisie must be convinced that, despite their persecutions, people would always be found ready to place themselves at the disposal of the workers.
Dr Marx then speaks at greater length about the revolutionary activity of the German workers abroad and finally emphasises the outstanding role they are playing in the latest Vienna revolution. He therefore proposes an address to the Vienna Workers’ Association. (Adopted by acclamation.)
Citizen Röser reported to the meeting on the popular assembly held on 15 October. (Cf. the previous issue of this paper.) He moved that a protest be made against the law which leaves the right of assembly in the open air to the arbitrary discretion of the police.
Thereupon he communicated the reply to the questions put to the public prosecutor regarding Dr Gottschalk, Anneke and Esser: whether, when and where they would be brought before the assizes; why Dr Gottschalk and Anneke were still being refused permission to confer, since permission had been granted from higher up; further, whether Mrs Schapper could not be allowed to visit her husband twice a week.
With regard to Dr Gottschalk, Anneke and Esser, the public prosecutor replied that they had been committed for trial here before the assizes by the indicting chamber, and that consequently an extraordinary assize sitting had been appointed to take place on 27 November of this year; however, the public ministry was free, if it feared disturbances during the proceedings, to report in that case to the court of cassation in Berlin, in order to have the trial held before another assize court. But the matter was still pending, and we should therefore apply to the chief public prosecutor and move that the trial be conducted here in Cologne, with ourselves vouching for peace and order. (Which was done on the 18th of this month.)
He was not aware that Dr Gottschalk and Anneke had received permission to confer.
Finally, Citizen Röser remarked: Since the Association has already instructed the committee to take all necessary steps for the prisoners, he proposed that the matter be left to the committee. (Adopted.) He further proposed that the treasurer be instructed to advance the money still needed to provide Esser with meals in the prison, which should be made up by voluntary contributions. (Adopted.)
Citizen Röser and Ross were provisionally elected for the district committee.
Citizen Blum moved that the Association should elect a deputy from its midst to send to the Democratic Congress in Berlin, and that the Association should cover the costs involved by means of a special levy. (Adopted.)
The President’s motion (concerning the rules of procedure) was to the effect that the first hour should be devoted to the interests of the Society (i.e. to its internal and external affairs), the second to discussing social and political questions, and that the meeting should be opened at half past eight. Adopted.
Citizen Heinzer told the Society that the pastor of St. Mauritius had given 50 thalers to the soldiers during the state of siege, probably to encourage them in the suppression of freedom; he believed, however, that the Mauritius parish was not short of poor families who were more in need of assistance than the soldiers.
Citizen Nothjung reported on the deputation that had been sent to Düsseldorf.
Thereupon the meeting was closed.
Monthly contributions 1 thaler 19 silver groschen; voluntary contributions 23 silver groschen.
Liberty, Fraternity, Labour.

No. 2, 29 October 1848
General Assembly of the Workers’ Association of
22 October 1848.
President Dr Marx opens the meeting with some remarks on the system of indirect election.
Citizen Röser. We have received an invitation to send a delegate to the Democratic Congress to be held in Berlin on the 26th of this month. However, the question arises whether the Workers’ Association should send someone alone or jointly with the Democratic Association. At the last committee meeting of your Association, the decision was in favour of the former, namely to act independently; but this is subject to the approval of the meeting, and if it is adopted, the question of costs must also be given essential consideration. I therefore move:
That we elect a deputy on our own and impose a voluntary levy upon ourselves to cover the costs.
The motion is adopted and the minimum levy set at 1 silver groschen.
Citizen Keil. A meeting had already taken place in Berlin at which the Workers’ Association was not represented. But the Association, which was said to be 7,000 strong, must be independently represented, all the more so since Cologne had been designated the district centre by the Central Committee.
Citizen Ross believes the delegate who is to contribute to the promotion of the general principles of democracy in the Berlin Congress should be instructed to take part in the meetings of the workers’ associations there, so as to be able to act specifically for our cause.
Citizens Nothjung and Müller believe that if a man from our midst were sent to Berlin to represent the principles of democracy, there would be no need to give him special instructions; he would do everything possible on his own initiative.
Citizen Beust, on behalf of F. Anneke, currently a political prisoner, proposes the deputies Dr D’Ester and former Lieutenant Valtin, both of whom are in Berlin, as delegates for the Congress.
Citizen Müller speaks against electing anyone other than a member of the Workers’ Association who has also taken part in its meetings up to the most recent time.
A debate ensues as to whether all those present should vote, or only those who identify themselves by their cards as members of the Workers’ Association; on the motion of Citizen Nothjung, it ends with the decision that all should vote, since the committee omitted to state expressly in the invitation to the meeting that the cards were to be brought along, and for that reason most of those present had presumably left their cards at home.
Freiligrath appears in the meeting and is received with a general and prolonged jubilation. He expresses his joy at the warm reception, which is clouded only by the absence of many a staunch comrade in conviction, whom he has the confident hope of soon seeing again in our midst.
He proposes a triple cheer for the political prisoners and those who have fled from here, in which the assembly joins.
Citizen Beust is proposed and elected as deputy to the Congress in Berlin.

President Dr Marx and Vice-President B. Röser are confirmed as such by the assembly.

Citizens Beust and Moll are elected to the committee to supplement it, and Citizens Ross and Röser to the district committee.

The assembly declared by acclamation that upon the appearance of the prisoners Dr Gottschalk and Anneke at the local assize court it would stand surety for the peace of the city.

The sitting is closed.

From admission fees and voluntary contributions 32 thalers 18 silver groschen 6 pfennigs came in.

Liberty, Fraternity, Labour.  
No. 6, 12 November 1848

Committee Sitting of the Workers’ Association of  
6 November 1848.

After the reading and adoption of the minutes of the previous sitting, Citizen Vogt reports on behalf of the commission on the audit and the state of the cash account.

Citizen Beust reports briefly on the proceedings of the Democratic Congress in Berlin and regrets that it did not entirely fulfill the expectations placed upon it, which was brought about by the many constitutionalists who had turned up there.

President Dr Marx makes a brief communication on the events in Vienna and emphasises in particular how it was only through the manifold treachery of the bourgeoisie there that Windischgrätz was able to take the city.

Citizen Keil wishes to hear the assembly’s opinion as to whether the money received for the free corps intended for Vienna should now be sent to the wounded and the bereaved there.

After a lengthy debate on this, in which it was particularly emphasised that sending it to Vienna, given the present conditions there, could not be carried out without perhaps delivering it into the hands of the Croats, and that an opportunity would perhaps soon arise to put the money to good use here as well, the society decided against it.

Citizen Blum speaks of a journey to be undertaken to Niederkassel to attend a young association there.

Citizen Röser says that the clergy in various places opposes the progressive strivings of the working class in an arrogant, but truly ridiculous manner, and thereby provokes a debate, which clearly shows how little the sound, vigorous sense of our workers can be misled, even from the pulpit and by a clergy once so all-powerful. It is emphasised by many speakers that it would not have occurred to us to speak of the clergy if they had left us in peace; but that now silence is no longer permissible after they have attacked us from the pulpit. They have no wish to say anything about religion, but must guard against encroachments by the clergy.