MARX TO VICTOR SCHILY*% 

London, 30 November 1867 

Dear Schily, 

I wrote to Meissner as soon as I received your letter and asked 
him to send you a cory of the book‘ for Reclus.''’ I believe Reclus 

4 Moses Hess - > A pun on the name Hirsch which also means stag.- © Marx wrote 
this postscript at the top of the first page. - 4 the first volume of Capital 

to be just the man to undertake the French translation, with 
German co-operation. In a translation, I would indicate certain 
changes to be made in several parts and, at the same time, reserve 
the right to carry out the final revision myself.°” 

What should be done, in the first instance, and as quickly as 
possible, is to bring out passages from the book in the Courrier 
francais. I do not see why Hess should need to involve any third 
person for this. He would best do it by himself. I also think that 
the topic he had in mind on English factory legislation is the most 
suitable as an introduction. However, even that cannot be treated 
without a few introductory words about the theory of value, as 
Proudhon has sown total confusion in people’s minds on that 
subject. They believe that a commodity is sold for its value if it is 
sold for its prix de revient* = price of the means of production 
which have been consumed in it, + wages (or price of the labour 
added to the means of production). They do not see that the 
unpaid labour which is contained in the commodity constitutes just 
as fundamental an element of value as the labour which has been 
paid for, and that this element of value now takes the form of 
profit, etc. They have no idea what wages are. Without an 
understanding of the nature of value, arguments about the 
working day, etc., in short, the factory laws, have no basis. A few 
words of introduction on this subject are thus called for. 

My publisher” is satisfied with sales in Germany. The liberal and 
vulgar-economist gang is, of course, seeking to harm it as much as 
they can by their tried and tested method of conspiration de silence. 
But this time they will not succeed. 

I am here enclosing 1 cory of Liebknecht‘ for you. You will see 
from the back page that he is bringing out a little weekly paper of 
his own“ in the coming weeks. I am to request contributions from 
you from Paris. (His address: 11 Braustrasse, Mr Miller“) I have 
given him a dressing-down for the phrase about the ‘social 
question’ (in the supplement) °*’ and ditto drew his attention to the 
fact that he should avoid uncritical stand of the South Germans in 
his polemic against Bismarck. What should already have perplexed 
him is the fact that Jakobus Venedey has become his admirer. 

4 prime cost - > Otto Meissner - © W. Liebknecht, Was ich im Berliner ‘Reichstag’ 
sagte.- 4 Democratisches Wochenblatt - < Liebknecht’s conspiratorial pseudonym 

For all that Liebknecht’s bold stand in the Reichstag has done 
good. 
The whole family send you their warmest greetings. 

Your 
A. Williams? 

The movement is on the march here!