To the Editor of The Times 54]

l'Egalité which society comprises those prisoners of Belle fle, who hold with M. Blanqui; for this gentleman has his friends amongst the prisoners quite as well as M. Barbes, the protector of M. Louis Blanc.

As to the “imposing and beautiful manifestation” and the “union of more than a thousand individuals belonging to different nations”, it should not be forgotten that this touching scene was, as far as M. Blanc was concerned, nothing but a “fraternal” demonstra- tion against M.Ledru-Rollin, in order to take vengeance—as he, M. Blanc, has publicly stated—for having been excluded from the Central European Democratic Committee of Messrs. Ledru-Rollin, Mazzini and others.

As respects the “renown” of M.Louis Blanc, it would be more prudent for him not to touch upon that delicate subject, until this “renown” had recovered from the terrible blows which M. Proudhon, some time ago, inflicted upon it.?%

M. Blanc, it seems, would shelter himself from the attacks of M. Blanqui by blazoning forth his capacity of exile and proscribed. And are not the sons of Louis Philippe exiles too? And has M. Blanc restrained the violence of his attack against that same M. Proudhon, who was, not an exile living comfortably at 87 Piccadilly—an abode certainly far from being fit for Ovidian Tristia to be written in, but who was a prisoner in the hands of the law? **°

M. Blanc seems to reproach M. Blanqui with having given publicity to his toast in ““counter-revolutionary journals”. M. Blanc knows well enough that since May 1850 a “revolutionary” press exists no longer in France. And pray, M. Louis Blanc, you who address yourself with all your “civilities” to the Editor of The Times, since when is The Times, in your eyes, a democratic, socialist and revolutionary paper?

In order, however, to enable the public to judge of that extra- ordinary document which so excites the indignation of M. Blanc, and which even now forms the general theme of the French press, I submit to you a translation in full and hope that it will be not without interest to the English public.

I am, Sir, your most ob-t servant Veritas

Written on March 5, 1851 Reprinted from Engels’ rough

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