The Calumnies of the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung*

Karl Marx (1848-12-14)

* Cologne, December 13. The article in the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung* of August 4, reprinted in No. 168, December 14, 1848, on account of which the guarantor Korff, the editor-in-chief Marx, and the editor of the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung*, Engels, are to appear before the assizes on the 20th inst., concludes with the following words:

“These, then, are the deeds of the ministry of deeds, of the ministry of the left centre, of the ministry of transition to an old-noble, old-bureaucratic, old-Prussian ministry. As soon as Herr Hansemann has fulfilled his transitory vocation, he will be dismissed. But the Left in Berlin must realise that the old power can safely leave to it small parliamentary victories and grand constitutional drafts, so long as it, in the meantime, seizes all the really decisive positions. It can safely recognise the revolution of March 19 in the chamber, provided the latter is only disarmed outside the chamber. The Left might one fine morning find that its parliamentary victory coincides with its real defeat. German development perhaps requires such contrasts. The ministry of deeds recognises the revolution in principle, in order to carry out the counter-revolution in practice.”

The facts have proved how grievously the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung* calumniated the Prussian government and its satellites.