1. The International Herald and the Emancipacion sent regularly, 
hope they have arrived. 

2. The Hales gang actually did hold their congress on 
January 26, all 10 of them; they dare not even say which sections 
they claim to represent. A wretched fiasco. Naturally decided not 
to recognise the Hague decisions or the General Council. 
Report—first half—in The Eastern Post, February 1; today’s 
contains no continuation! ?° The Federal Council will send you the 
things officially. These people have lost almost all their support, 
apart from Hales’ personal following in the East End of London. 
One of the signatories of Hales’ first circular,* Bennett, has 
returned to our people with strict orders from his section (Halifax) 
to stand by them and the tawrut Association. He was only 
re-admitted after much eating of humble pie. (See today’s International 
Herald.”) 

3. In Lodi, the Plebe is remaining loyal, though not breaking 
openly with the others, which they would not be able to do for the 
time being anyway. But the others themselves are carrying things 
to the limit. They are convening an Italian congress for March 15, 
but only intend to admit sections that have recognised the Rimini 
resolutions or recognise them by the deadline! So much for 
autonomy and free federations. It is all right to trample the Rules 
of the International underfoot, but the Rimini resolutions are 
sacrosanct. 

Working Men’s Association, [London,] December 10, 1872.— Ed. 

4. We greatly regret that the G.C., instead of simply stating that 
the Jurassians have resigned by rejecting the Hague resolutions 
and forming a separate league [Sonderbund], has merely sus- 
pended them.”* First, it is always possible that a conference will be 
demanded. Second, the issue now comes before Congress in a 
quite different form: their delegates must be admitted provisional- 
ly, until their mandate has been put to the vote. Third, the G.C. 
must take the same steps against the Belgians and the Spaniards, 
ditto against the Hales gang, and these successive suspensions 
make a much worse impression than if the G.C. had waited a 
few more weeks, until it knew the results of the Belgian and Spanish 
congresses, and then issued one general proclamation setting out 
the formal reasons and also explaining in simple terms that one 
cannot be both inside and outside the International, cannot claim 
to belong to it and simultaneously declare its rules invalid, and 
then purement et simplement stating that those in question had 
placed themselves outside the International. 

5. I hope the relevant resolution has been sent to Sonvillier and 
Geneva from there, as I have received no instruction to this effect. 
As far as Serraillier is concerned, he cannot send anything there at 
the moment, with arrests raining down and all correspondence 
with France cut. 

6. Your authorised representative Larroque has collected his 
authorisation here himself—as a refugee. From here he went to 
San Sebastian, where he will get the thing moving again. 

7. In Portugal all is well, as the Emancipacion sent today shows. 
We also have private letters from there; the people are working 
very hard on the trape unions. 

8. In Lodi only Bignami is left. The party* committee in 
Hamburg has sent them 20 thalers and Oberwinder 50 guldens 
from Vienna, which has not failed to have an effect. 

9. Cuno’s manoeuvre, to disguise himself as Capestro, has 
already been exposed in the Brussels Internationale.” 

10. If the G.C. is not already receiving the secessionist sheets, 
some unknown name will have to take out a subscription to them. 
Here, with the greatest difficulty and by roundabout ways, we 
obtain one copy of each, and not always that—we still have not 
received the last three issues of the Bulletin jurassien. So, with the 
best will in the world, we cannot procure them for you. Anyway, 
they are only L’Internationale (Brussels), the Bulletin de la 
Fédération jurassienne. (Sonvillier) and La Federacion (Barcelona). 

11. I have spoken to Le Moussu about the stamps; he will 
procure them, just as last year.*”° Yet it is odd that this could not 
be done in New York. 

12. What has become of MacDonnell? He must have arrived 
long since. I have neither seen nor heard anything of him. 

Must catch the post. 

Best wishes, 
F. Engels 

London, February 8, 1873°