Sir,— Messrs. Herzen and Golovine have chosen to connect the 
New Rhenish Gazette. edited by me in 1848 and 1849, with the 
polemics going on ‘between them and “F.M.,”* with regard to 
Bakunin. They tell the English public that the calumny against 
Bakunin took origin in that paper, which had even ventured to 
appeal to the testimony of George Sand. Now, I care nothing 
about the insinuations of Messrs. Herzen and Golovine. But, as it 
may contribute to the settlement of the question raised about 
Michael Bakunin, permit me to state the real facts of the case: 

On July 5th, 1848, the New Rhenish Gazette received two letters 
from Paris—the one being ‘the authographic correspondence of 
the Havas-Bureau, and the other a private correspondence, 
emanating from a Polish refugee,” quite unconnected with that 
concern—both stating that George Sand was in possession of 
papers compromising Bakunin as having lately entered into 
relations with the Russian Government. 

The New Rhenish Gazette, on July 6th, published the letter of its 
Paris correspondent. 

Bakunin, on his part, declared in the Neue Oder-Zeitung* (a 
Breslau“ paper), that, before the appearance of the Paris correspon- 
dence in the New Rhenish Gazette, similar rumours had been 
secretly colported at Breslau, that they emanated from the Russian 
embassies, and that he could not better answer them than by 

appealing to George Sand. His letter to George Sand was 
published simultaneously with his declaration. Both the declaration 
and the letter were reprinted immediately by the New Rhenish 
Gazette, (ide New Rhenish Gazette, July 16, 1848). On August 3, 
1848, the New Rhenish Gazette received from Bakunin, through the 
means of M. Koscielski, a letter addressed by George Sand to its 
editor, which was published on the same day, with the following 
introductory remarks: — 

“In number 36, of this paper, we communicated a rumour 
circulating in Paris, according to which George Sand was stated to be 
possessed of papers which placed the Russian refugee, Bakunin, in 
the position of an agent of the Emperor Nicholas. We gave publicity 
to this statement, because it was communicated to us simultaneously 
by two correspondents wholly unconnected with each other. By so 
doing, we only accomplished the duty of the public press, which has 
severely to watch public characters. And, at the same time we gave to 
Mr. Bakunin an opportunity of silencing suspicions thrown upon 
him in certain Paris circles. We reprinted also from the Neue 
Oder-Zeitung Mr. Bakunin’s declaration, and his letter addressed to 
George Sand, without waiting for his request. We publish now a 
literal translation of a letter addressed to the Editor of the New 
Rhenish Gazette by George Sand, which perfectly settles this 
affair.”—(Vide New Rhenish Gazette, Aug. 3, 1848.)* 

In the latter part of August, 1848, I passed through Berlin, 
saw Bakunin there, and renewed with him the intimate friendship 
which united us before the outbreak of the revolution of February. 

In its number of October 13, 1848, the New Rhenish Gazette 
attacked the Prussian ministry for having expelled Bakunin, and 
for having threatened him with being delivered up to Russia if he 
dared to re-enter the Prussian States. 

In its number of February 15, 1849, the New Rhenish Gazette 
brought, out a leading article on Bakunin’s pamphlet— Aufruf an 
die Slaven, which article commenced with these words—“ Bakunin 
is our friend. This shall not prevent us from subjecting his pamphlet 
to a severe criticism.” 

In my letters, addressed to the New-York Daily Tribune on 
“Revolution and Contre-revolution in Germany,” I was, as far as I 
know, the first German writer who paid to Bakunin the tribute 
due to him for his participation in our movements, and, especially 

in the Dresden insurrection,”° denouncing, at the same time, the 
German press and the German people for the most cowardly 
manner in which they surrendered him to his and their enemies.’ 

As to “F.M.” proceeding, as he does, from the fixed idea, that 
continental revolutions are fostering the secret plans of Russia, he 
must, if he pretend to anything like consistency, condemn not only 
Bakunin, but every continental revolutionist as a Russian agent. In 
his eyes revolution itself is a Russian agent. Why not Bakunin? 

London, August 30, 1853. Reproduced from the newspaper 

September 2, 1853 

Signed: Karl Marx