[London,] 18 May 1870 

Dear Frep, 

On Monday? we shall be travelling to join you for 14 days, not 
longer, since Tussy is interrupting all her lessons. It’s no go this 
week, since swrer Jennychen has holidays until Monday, and we 
should not leave her alone for this period. 

The enclosed muck from Heinzen discloses at the tail-end—the 
false story about my relationship with Lassalle—who is prompting 
Heineke, the doughty bondsman.” 5 It is oLp Hatzfeldt, probably 
operating through Weber junior, who deliberates in New York. 
Incidentally, Heineke is making a grievous mistake if he expects 
me to honour him with a word of rebuttal. He has been working 
to this end for years—to no avail! 

Our French mempers are demonstrating ad oculos‘ the French 
Government the difference between a political secret society and a 
genuine workers’ association. No sooner had the government 
jailed all the members of the Paris, Lyons, Rouen, Marseilles etc., 
committees ©? (some of them fled to Switzerland and Belgium) than 
committees twice as numerous announced themselves in the 
newspapers as their successors with the most daring and defiant 

a See this volume, pp. 498-99, 520. - > 23 May - © to the eyes of 

declarations (and, as an added touch, with their private addresses as 
well). The French Government has finally done what we so long 
wanted it to do: transform the political question—Ewpie or 
Republic—into a question de vie ou de mort* for the working class! 

Altogether, the plebiscite is dealing the final blow to the Empire! 
Because so many voted ‘yes’ for the empire avec la_ phrase 
constitutionelle,” Boustrapa*”° believes he can now unceremoniously 
restore the empire sans phrase, c’est a dire le régime du Décembre.* In 
Paris—according to all private information—la société du 10 
Décembre™ has been fully restored and is fully active. 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M. 

The transfer of the congress to Mainz—unanimously voted 
yesterday—will give Bakunin a fit.