London, [End of April 1895] 
41 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 

Dear Mr Mehring, 

May I say how very grateful I am for your offer, which is gladly accepted, 
to help me hunt out Marx’s early writings for republication. The first 
difficulty to confront me was the Rheinische Zeitung of 1842, which I had 
imagined to be in the Berlin Library. Despite numerous inquiries, I was 
unable to ascertain whether it was actually there, but now that that point has 
been cleared up, we can make a start. 

Marx was in Bonn up till October 1842. When I passed through at the end 
of September or the beginning of October on my return from Berlin, the 
editorial board consisted, so far as I recall, only of M. Hess and Dr Rave, a 
former editor of the Elberfelder Zeitung (which was, I believe, known by 
another name at the time). Rutenberg had, I believe, already been expelled, 
though I am not sure about that. When I dropped in again towards the end of 
November on my way to England, I ran into Marx there and that was the 
occasion of our first, distinctly chilly meeting. Marx had meanwhile taken a 
stand against the Bauers, i.e. he had said he was opposed not only to the 
Rheinische Zeitung becoming predominantly a vehicle for theological 
propaganda, atheism, etc., rather than for political discussion and action, but 
also to Edgar Bauer’s hot air brand of communism, which was based on a 
sheer love of ‘going to extremes’ and was soon after replaced by Edgar with 
other kinds of extremist hot air. Since I corresponded with the Bauers, I was 
regarded as their ally, whereas they caused me to view Marx with suspicion. 

To the best of my recollection Marx resigned—at any rate officially— 
from the post of editor en chef on I January 1843. That, however, did not 
prevent him from surreptitiously contributing to the paper up to and 
including February. I think I am equally right in saying that the ukase 
requiring the paper to close down on 31 March 1843 was served on it no later 
than 31 December. Negotiations then began, the result of 

which proved negative, hence the delay in publishing the ukase until 28 
January and likewise in appointing the chief censor who had, in fact, already 
been functioning for some time. At one period there were no less than three 
censors: 1. the usual censor, 2. assessor von Saint-Paul who had been sent 
from Berlin, 3. the District President. Saint-Paul was still there at the time of 
the paper’s funeral feast. The vacillations between 12 and 18 February would 
pretty well coincide with Marx’s departure from Cologne. *”* 

If, by comparing these data with the paper itself, you could discover more 
details or rectify inaccuracies, it would be of great benefit both to your work 
and to mine. 

As regards the Mosel articles, °*” it will doubtless turn out to be as you 
say. Marx was tied to Cologne at the time and could not possibly have 
collected material of that kind in person. 

The article I mentioned to Fischer ' is in fact the one about the censorship 
instruction which appeared in Ruge’s Anekdota.” 

One of the best pieces in the Rheinische Zeitung, again in the feuilleton, is 
a long critique of Leo’s History of the French Revolution. It is my Marx’s 
friend C. F. Képpen (who also wrote about old Fritz’ and Norse 
mythology‘) and (for the first time in any language) gives a correct expla- 
nation for the reign of terror. 

Certain quotations and retrospective insights in your articles in the Neue 
Zeit have already shown me that you have made a thorough study of the 
period previous to 1848. 1 am glad that it has fallen to you to deal with this, 
as well as with the later period in respect of Germany. 

There might possibly be one or two more things of Marx’s in the sup- 
plement for the period prior to October 1842; it would hardly be worth your 
while to search out smaller items from Bonn in the main part of the paper. 

My heartfelt condolences on the destruction of the Freie Volksbiihne. 
*“Subversion from above could not possibly have passed that institution by. 

Once again my best thanks. 

584 

Yours faithfully 
F. Engels 

* See this volume, p. 502 - ° K. Marx, Comments on the Latest Prussian Censorship Instruction. 
- °C. F. Képpen, Leo’s Geschichte der Revolution. In: Rheinische Zeitung, 1921, 22 May 1842 - 
4 Frederick Il —° C. F. Képpen, Friedrich der Grosse und seine Widersacher and Literarische 
Einleitung in die Nordische Mythologie.