Karl Marx

[To the Editor of the “Liberté”]

From the French.

[“La Liberté” No. 11 of 17 March 1872]

London, 12 March 1872

Mr Editor,

In the book by Citizen G. Lefrançais, “On the Communalist Movement”, which I have been able to look at only a few days ago, I found on page 92 the following passage:

“The letter subsequently written to Citizen Serraillier by Karl Marx, the principal inspirer of the German section of the International, concerning the elections of 8 February, in which he criticises with a certain bitterness the participation of the French section in these elections, testifies sufficiently—whether rightly or wrongly—that the International was at that time little inclined to take an active part in politics.”

Immediately after the publication of my so-called letter to Serraillier, I declared in the Times, in the Courrier de l’Europe, in the Berliner Zukunft, etc., that this letter is a product of the Paris-Journal. Serraillier, for his part, publicly exposed a police journalist as the true author of this letter. Since nearly all the organs of the International and even some Paris newspapers published our statements, I am truly astonished to see that Citizen Lefrançais repeats the newspaper lie fabricated by Henri de Pène.

I remain, Sir, your very obedient servant

Karl Marx