MARX TO ENGELS” 

{London,] 10 August 1869 
Dear Freppy, 

I am in a great dilemma with Tussy. The Lafargues have written 
that they will be arriving here next Tuesday or Wednesday.* If I 
do not inform Tussy that Fouchtra,? whom she loves fanatically, is 
coming, she will reproach me later. If I do inform her, there will 
be a tragic collision between her wish to stay with Mrs Lizzie as 
promised, and the wish to see Fouchtra. I shall leave it to you to 
deal with the matter as you judge best. 

In L’International, the French police sheet, an article ‘La 
Dictature Universelle’ against the International Worxinc Men's 
Association, evoked by the srrixes in France, which follow blow 
upon blow. This article by Jerusalem‘ concludes as follows: 

‘Quoi qu'il en soit, on sait maintenant qu'il dépend de la Ligue de faire cesser 

la vie sociale 1a ot il entrera dans ses vues de tout arréter d’un seul mot. S’il se trouvait 
un ministre ambitieux qui sit gagner ses bonnes graces, on comprend ce qu’il pourrait 

417 or 18 August -> Charles Etienne Lafargue - ¢ [Jerusalem,] ‘La Dictature 
universelle’, L’International, 3 August 1869. 

contre des rivaux qui le géneraient. Nous sommes parfaitement convaincu que ce 
méme ministre, une fois arrivé 4 son but, n’aurait rien de plus pressé que de détruire 
la Ligue par des procédés radicaux; nous ne savons pas s'il y réussirait; mais, pour 
instant, nous déclarons que la Ligue internationale est véritablement la Dictature 
universelle. Attendons le moment od ses [caisses*] seront pl[eines].2’> 

If the fellow wants to wait until then he will have a long wait. 

The part of Wilhelm’s speech (delivered in Berlin‘) printed in 
the supplement demonstrates, beneath the stupidity, an undeni- 
able cunning in arranging the affair suitably. By the way, this is 
very nice. Since the Reichstag may only be utilised as a means 
of agitation, one may never agitate there for something sensible and 
directly affecting the workers’ interests! The worthy Wilhelm’s 
illusion that, since Bismarck ‘is fond of’ turns of speech friendly 
to the workers, he would not oppose real workers’ measures is REALLY 
charming! ‘As though’—as Bruno Bauer would say—Mr Wagener 
would not declare himself theoretically in the Reichstag in favour 
of the Factory Acts, but in practice against them ‘since they would 
be useless under Prussian conditions’! ‘As though’ Mr Bismarck, 
if he really would and could do something for the workers, would 
not force the implementation of the existing legislation in Prussia 
itself! Merely because this occurred in Prussia, liberal ‘Saxony’ etc. 
would have to follow. What Wilhelm does not grasp is that the 
present governments flirt with the workers, but know full well that 
their only support lies with the bourgeoisie, and that they 
therefore scare the latter with phrases friendly to the workers, but 
are never really able to take steps against the bourgeoisie. 

The brute believes in the future ‘state of democracy’! Secretly 
that means sometimes constitutional England, sometimes the 
bourgeois United States, sometimes wretched Switzerland. ‘It’ has 
no conception of revolutionary politics. Copying Schwabenmayer,? 
he quotes as proof of democratic activity: the railway to California 
was built by the bourgeoisie awarding itself through Congress an 

@ paper dainaged - > ‘Be this as it may, today one is aware that it depends upon 
the League to bring the life of society to a halt at that moment when it intends 
stopping everything with one word. If an ambitious minister were to be found who 
knew how to win their good graces, it may be understood what he would be able to 
undertake against rivals uncomfortable to him. We are perfectly convinced that this 
same minister, his goal once achieved, would find nothing more urgent to do than 
to take radical measures to destroy the League; we do not know whether he would 
be successful; but at present we declare that the International League is, in truth, 
the universal dictatorship. Wait until their cash-boxes are filled.’ - © W. Liebknecht, 
‘Ueber die politische Stellung der Sozial-Demokratie...’, Demokratisches Wochenblatt, 
No. 27 and supplement to No. 32, 3 July and 7 August 1869. - 4 Karl Mayer 

enormous mass of ‘public land’, that is to say, expropriating it from 
the workers; by importing Chinese rabble to depress wages; and 
finally by instituting a new off-shoot, the ‘financial aristocracy ’. 

Incidentally, I find it a cheek on Wilhelm’s part to introduce our 
names ad vocem* Brass.*'’ I declared myself outspokenly against his 
tippling with Brass and, at the same time,— viva voce’— declared: 
if this led to a scandal we would publicly disavow him. 

The following passages from Daniel Defoe’s ‘Memoirs of a Cavalier’ 
may interest you. 

1. Speaking of Cardinal Richelieu’s army parade in Lyons, he 
states: 

* ‘The French foot, compared to the infantry I have since seen in the German 
and Swedish armies, were not fit to be called soldiers. On the other hand, 
considering the Savoyards and Italian troops, they were good troops.’ * 

2. Speaking of the beginning of Gustav Adolf’s intervention in 
the German muck: 

* ‘First, they’ (the German Protestant princes) ‘were willing to join him, at least 
they could not find in their hearts to join with the emperor, of whose powers they had 
such just apprehensions; they wished the Swedes success and would have been very glad 
to have had the work done at another man’s charge; but like true Germans they were more 
willing to be saved, than to save themselves, and therefore hung back and stood on 
terms.’ * 

I hope to see you next Monday." 
Salut. nt 

Moro 
Do not forget the small note-book I left with you. There are a 
few notes in it. Ditto regarding the worthy Dühring.