Manchester, 7 September 1870 

Dear Moor, 

(Continuation.)* Due to the unexpected victories chauvinism has 
gone horribly to the heads of the German philistines who have 
done nothing to bring them about, and it is high time to do 
something about this. If only the Volksstaat were not so 
contemptible! But nothing can be done about that. By the time my 
preface to The Peasant War? in pamphlet form appears in print, it 
will have been long since overtaken by events. All the more urgent, 
therefore, is the new proclamation of the International‘ (for which 
you must do the German as well this time). 

If the telegraphed version of the Parisian International procla- 
mation '*' is anything near accurate, it undoubtedly shows that 
these people are still entirely dominated by rhetoric. Having 
endured Badinguet“ for 20 years, having been unable to prevent 

2 See this volume, pp. 61-63. -> F. Engels, ‘Preface to the Second Edition of 
The Peasant War in Germany’. - © K. Marx, ‘Second Address of the General Council 
of the International Working Men’s Association on the Franco-Prussian War’. - 4 A 
derisive nickname of Louis Bonaparte (Napoleon III) who, in 1846, fled from 
prison in Ham in the clothes of a mason by the name of Badinguet. 

him from winning 6 million votes against 1'/: only six months 
ago'’* and from stirring them up against Germany without any 
rhyme or reason, now that the German victories have made them 
a present of a republic—et laquelle!*—these people demand that 
the Germans should leave the sacred soil of France without delay, 
for otherwise there will be guerre a outrance! It is the same old 
idea of the superiority of France, of a land consecrated by 1793 
which no subsequent French indecencies can profane, of the 
sanctity of the word: the Republic. Such behaviour really does put 
me in mind of the Danes in 1864'°° who allowed the Prussians to 
approach to within 30 paces, fired a salvo at them and then laid 
down their arms in the hope that they would not be repaid in kind 
for the formality. 

I hope that they will all reflect on the matter once more when 
the first intoxication is past, for if not, it will be damned difficult 
to have any truck with them at an International level. 

The entire republic, like its pacific origin, has been a complete 
farce up to now. As I have expected for the past two weeks and 
even longer,* the Orleanists want an interim republic to conclude 
the shameful peace, so that the onus will not fall on the Orléans 
who are to be restored subsequently. The Orleanists have the 
real power: Trochu the military command and Kératry the po- 
lice; the gentlemen of the gauche’ have the hot-air portfolios. 
Since the Orléans are now the only possible dynasty, they can 
wait calmly for the right moment for the real avénement au pou- 
voir.” 

Dupont has just left. He spent the evening here and was furious 
about this beautiful Paris proclamation. He was reassured to hear 
that Serraillier will go there having had prior discussions with you. 
His views on the case are perfectly clear and accurate: make use 
of the freedoms inevitably granted by the republic to organise the 
party in France; act when occasion presents itself, once organisa- 
tion has been completed; the International to be held on a leash in 
France until after peace has been concluded. 

The gentlemen of the Provisional Government and_ the 
bourgeois in Paris appear to know full well (to judge by the 
reports in The Daily News) that any ideas of continuing the war 
are just idle talk. The rain will hardly hold up the Germans at all; 
the men in the field are used to it by now and healthier for it than 
they would be in the heat. Of course there could be epidemics, 

a and what a republic! - > war to the knife - © See this volume, p. 41.- 4 Left - 
€ acquisition of power 

especially with the capitulation of Metz, where they will probably 
have broken out already, though it is not certain. A guerrilla war 
which would force the Prussians to order mass shootings does not 
seem very likely either, but it could break out here and there 
under the initial impact of revolution. As soon as we know what 
effect the capitulation of Metz will have in Paris (and it must 
happen next week at the latest),°° we shall be in a better position to 
predict the further development of the war. Up to now, the 
measures, i.e. phrases, of the new rulers seem to promise little but 
a forthcoming surrender. 

Rochefort will probably not remain with that mob for long. 
When the Marseillaise reappears things will quickly come to a head 
between him and them. 

Schorlemmer left today with Wehner to bring a mass of spirits, 
wine, woollen blankets, flannel shirts, etc. (for over £1,000 in all) 
from the local Aid-Committee’ directly through Belgium to 
Sedan for the wounded. If he has time, he will call on you, but 
they still have a heap of things to attend io there; they did not 
start buying things and parcelling them up until yesterday 
morning. From there, they intend to go on to Metz, if possible, 
where each of them has a brother with the army. 

It is typical of the lousy government in Paris that they do not 
venture to tell the public the true facts of the present situation. I 
fear that unless there is a miracle, there will have to be a phase of 
direct bourgeois rule under the Orléans to allow the struggle to 
proceed in its pure form. To sacrifice the workers now, would be 
strategy a la Bonaparte and MacMahon; before peace they cannot 
act under any circumstances, and after that they will first need 
time to organise. 

The threat of the alliance* will doubtless bring pressure to bear 
on the Prussians. But they know that the Russian breech-loaders 
are good for nothing, that the English have no army and that 
the Austrians are very weak. In Italy Bismarck with the 
Pope?” (since the Florentine government has officially announced it 
will go to Rome in September), and with the consent of Nice and 
Savoy, appears to have made any resistance by the ruling circles 
impossible; it was a brilliant coup. Incidentally, Bismarck seems 
only to be waiting for some pressure to declare himself satisfied 
with money and the town of Strasbourg and its environs. He can 

a An allusion to the rumours about the Anglo-Russo-Austrian alliance aimed 
against Prussia (see this volume, p. 66). - © Pius IX 

still use the French and may well imagine that they might see this 
as Magnanimous. 
Adjiis, best greetings, 

Your 
F. E.