in Le Perreux

London, 3 Nov. 1892

My dear Lafargue,

I am up to my ears in Volume III of Capital, which at last must be finished once and for all. I am working on the least edited and most difficult part — banks, credit, etc.! Under no circumstances can I interrupt this work, otherwise I should have to begin everything all over again. My entire correspondence has therefore been suspended, and I can only write you a few lines.

“It is very regrettable that you believed the promises of Millevoye, who, as a shrewd politician, took you in — in future you will know that these gentlemen cease to be gentlemen when they enter politics.) I receive letter after letter from Germany, in which people complain of your absence at the critical moment, and I predict to you that it will be difficult to get our friends to prepare discussion speeches if the main speaker for whom they were made is absent. Publication as a pamphlet?! will not have one hundredth part of the effect that a speech in Parliament would have had; that is a point on which our Berlin friends are very well able to judge from experience.

The least you could do would be to send a delegate to Berlin on the 14th; that would help to come to an understanding with our friends there. Do make an effort to see that this trip comes about; it would pay for itself.

You will have read the newspaper reports about the horrible effect of the new explosive bullets in Dahomey. A young Viennese doctor?[1], who has just arrived here (former assistant of Nothnagel), has seen the wounds that the Austrian explosive bullets caused during the strike at Nürmitz; he tells us the same thing. Naturally, the people who expose themselves to the danger of being torn to pieces in this way want to know why. That is excellent for preserving the peace and also for keeping in check the so-called revolutionary impulses whose explosion our rulers are only waiting for. The era of barricades and street battles is over for ever; if the troops fight, resistance is madness. Hence one is obliged to find a new revolutionary tactic. I have been thinking about this for some time, but have not yet arrived at any result.

I am beginning to go out a little again. For about three months I was a prisoner in the house; now I am starting to walk, but little and slowly; at any rate, an end is now in sight. It is high time, for I feel that the lack of exercise in the open air is reaching its limits. And when I am completely well again, we can hopefully arrange things so that you and Laura give us the pleasure of spending a few weeks with us. We have so much to discuss, and it is time that Laura saw London again.

Greetings from Frau Kautsky.

In friendship, your
F. Engels

Translated from the French.

¹ See Volume 25 of our edition, pp. 481-626 —? Ludwig Freyberger