Karl Marx
Draft of a speech on the "Fenian Question" for the
meeting of the General Council of the International

Working Men's Association, November 26, 1867

ill.
Exordium. The execution.

Since our last meeting the object of our discussion, Fenianism, has entered a new phase. It has been baptised in blood by the English Govern-
5 ment. The Political Executions at Manchester remind us of the fate of
John Brown at Harper's Ferry. They open a new period in the struggle
between Ireland and England. The whole Parliament and liberal press
responsible. Gladstone. Reason: to keep up the hypocrisy that this was
no political, but a common criminal affair. The effect produced upon
10 Europe quite the contrary. They seem anxious to keep up the Act of the
Long Parliament. English a divine right to fight the Irish on their native
soil, but every Irish Fighting against the British Government in Engld to
be treated as an outlaw. Suspension ofthe Habeas Corpus Act. State of
Siege. Facts from the Chronicle. Governmental Organisation of "Assas-
15 sination and violence". Case of Bonaparte.

MN.

The question.

What is Fenianism?

Karl Marx

II.

1. The Landquestion.

Decrease of Population.
1846 in 20 J. 2,649,693 11801: 5,319,867.
1841: 8,222,664
1866: 5,571,971
2,649,693
Decrease of Population.
1855: 6,041,665
1866: 5,571,971 in 11 years 1,032,694.
1,032,694
Population not only decreased, but the number of the deaf-mutes, the
blind, the decrepit, the lunatic and idiotic increased relatively to the numbers of the population. |

\2\ Increase of Livestock from 1855 to 1866.

In the same period from 1855 to 1866 number of the Live Stock increased
as follows: cattle by 178,532, sheep by 667,675, Pigs by 315,918. If we
take into account the simultaneous decrease of Horses by 20,656, and
equalise 8 sheeps to 1 horse total increase of live stocks: 996,859, about
one Million.

Thus 1,032,694 Irishmen have been displaced by about one Million of
cattle, pigs, and sheep. What has become of them? The emigration list
answers.

Emigration.
From 1: May 1851 to 31" Dec. 1866: 1,730,189. Character ofthat Emigration.

The process has been brought about and is still functioning upon an
always enlarging scale by the throwing together or consolidation of farms
(eviction) and by the simultaneous conversion of tillage into pasture.

From 1851-1861 total number offarms decreased by 120,000, while
simultaneously the number of farms of 15-30 acres increased by 61,000,
that of 30 acres by 109,000 (together 170,000). The decrease was almost
exclusively owed to the extinction of farms from less than one to less than
15 acres. Lord Dufferin. The increase means only that amongst the decreased number of farms there is a larger portion of farms of large dimension.

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Karl Marx: Draft of a speech on the "Fenian Question".
Erste Seite

Draft of a speech on the "Fenian Question"

How the process works.
a) The People.

The situation ofthe mass of the people has deteriorated, and their State
is verging to a crisis similar to that of 1846. The relative surplus population now as great as before the famine.

Wages have not risen more than 20% since the potato famine. The
price of potatoes has risen nearly 200%; the necessary means oflife on an
average by 100%. Professor Cliffe Leslie, in the London Economist d.d.
Feb. 9, 1867 says: "After a loss of /s of the population in 21 years,
throughout most of the island, the rate of wages is now only Is. a day; a
shilling does not go further than 6d. did 21 years ago. Owing to this rise
in his ordinary food the labourer is worse off than he was 10 years ago."

b) The Land.

1) Decrease of land under crops.

Decrease in cereal crops: Decrease in Green crops:
1861-1866: 470,917 acres. 1861-66: 128,061 acres.

2) Decrease per Statute Acre of every crop. There has been decrease of
yield in wheat, but greater 1847 to 1865 per cent: the exact decrease: oats
16.3, flax: 47.9, turnips 36.1, potatoes 50%. Some years would show a
greater decrease, but on the whole it has been gradual since 1847. |

 Since the exodus, the land has been underfed and overworked, partly from the injudicious consolidation of farms, and, partly, because, under the cornacre system, the farmer in a great measure trusted to his
labourers to manure the land for him. Rents and profits may increase,
although the profit of the soil decreases. The total produce may diminish,
but that part of it, which is converted into surplus produce, falling to
landlord and greater farmers, instead of to the laborer. And the price of
the surplus produce has risen.

So result: Gradual Expulsion of the natives. Gradual Deterioration
and exhaustion of the source of national life, the soil.

Process of Consolidation.

This process has only begun; it is going on in rapid strides. The consolidation has first attacked the farms of under one to under 15 acres. It will
be far from having reached the English point of consolidation, if all
farms under 100 acres have disappeared. Now the state was this in 1864:

The total area of Ireland, included bogs and waste land: 20,319,924
Acres.

Of those D, - 12,092,117 acres form still farms from under 1 to under
100 acres, and are in the hands of 569,844 farmers. :h, = 8,227,807 form
farms from 100 till over 500 acres, and are in the hands of 31,927 persons.

Karl Marx

Thus to be cleared off 2,847,220, if we number only the farmers and their
families.

This system natural offspring of the famine of 1846, accelerated by the
abolition of cornlaws, and the rise in the price of meat and wool, now
systematic. 5

Clearing of the Estate of Ireland, transforming it in an Engl. Agricultural District, minus its resident lords and their retainers, separated from
England by a Broad Water Ditch.

Change of Character ofthe English rule in Ireland. State only tool of the
landlords. Eviction, also employed as means of political punishment. 10
(Lord Abercorn. (Engld. Gaels in the Highlands of Scotland.) ) Former
Engl. Policy: Displacing the Irish by English (Elisabeth) roundheads
(Cromwell). Since Anne 18 Century Politico-Econ. character only in the
protectionist measures of England against her own Irish colony: within
that Colony making religion a proprietary title. After the Union system of 15
rackrenting and middlemen, but left the Irish, however ground to the
dust, holder of their native soil. Present system, quiet businesslike extinction and Government only instrument of landlords (and usurers).

From this altered state: 20

1) Distinguishing Character of Fenianism: Socialist, lower class movement. I

\[4]| 2) Not catholic movement.

Priests leaders as long as Catholic Emancipation and their leader, Daniel O'Connell, remained leader of the Irish movement. Ridiculous Pop- 25
ishism of the English. High Catholic Priests against Fenianism.

3) No representative leader in the British Parliament. Character of
O'Connells physical force movement. Extinction of Irish party in Parliament.

4) Nationality. Influence of European movement. And Engl. Phra- 30
seology.

5) America, Ireland, England three fields of Action, leadership of
America.

6) Republican, because American Republic.

I have now given the characteristics of Fenianism. 35

Draft of a speech on the "Fenian Question"

IV. The Engl. People.

A cause of humanity and right, but above all a specific English question.
a) Aristocracy and Church. Army. (France, Algiers.)
b) Irish in England. Influence on wages etc. Lowering the character of
5 the Engl, and Irish. The Irish character. Chastity of Irishmen. Attempts
at education in Ireland. Diminution of crimes.
Convicted in Ireland.

Committed for trial: Convicted:
SD Zac 17,678 10,454
10 1866...........: 4,326 2,418

The decrease in the numbers of Persons committed for Trial in England and Wales, since 1855, is partly due to the Criminal Justice Act of
1855, authorising Justices to pass sentences for short periods with the
consent of the prisoners, instead of committing for Trial to the Sessions.

15 Birmingham. Progress of the Engl. People. Infamy of the Engl. Press.

c) The Foreign Policy. Poland etc. Castlereagh. Palmerston.

V. The Remedy.

Foolishness of the minor Parliamentary Propositions.
Error of the Reform League.
20 Repeal as one of the Articles of the Engl. Democratic Party. |