[London,] 5 July 1861 

Dear Engels, 

Your letter enclosing £5 most gratefully received. 

For the past 3 days I have had a foul inflammation of the eyes 
which has prevented me from doing any writing or reading. 
However, I believe it will pass in a couple of days. 

Lupus found Alberts extremely obstructive. (I would mention in 
passing that the latter is Bernstorff’s factotum. Also chief police 
agent and chief pimp to the more select visitors from Prussia.) 
However, with his own particular brand of rudeness, he finally 
browbeat Alberts into entering a long scrawl on his Swiss passport 
to the effect that Lupus, an exile, was availing himself of the 
amnesty, etc., to travel to Wiesbaden, etc., for such and such a 
purpose. Initially, he had been told that, because of his 10 years’ 
residence abroad —so this is the story they dish out to everyone— 
he had lost his Prussian citizenship. He should therefore have 
himself naturalised as an Englishman and travel on an English 
passport. 

Zedlitz, by the by, told Lassalle shortly before his resignation that 
I had republican or, at least, anti-royalist views, and it was their 
unvarying principle never to renaturalise anyone of that couleur. 
They didn’t want to set a praecedens in my case.” Winter, Zedlitz’s 
successor, told Lassalle he could not reverse his predecessor’s 
decision. Finally Schwerin, who was also being pestered by Lassalle 
and wanted to be rid of him, said he would refer the matter to the 
Berlin municipal council—which, however, he won’t do. During the 
debate in the Chamber on the subject of refugees, Vincke et cie 
applauded loudly when Schwerin announced that the government 
would always reserve the right to decide each particular case as it 
thought fit.**° 

As to the secession business, the matter has been quite wrongly 
represented in the English papers.* Everywhere, with the excep- 
tion of South Carolina, there was the strongest opposition to 
secession. 

4 See this volume, pp. 301, 304. 

First: Borper stave states’ A convention of the Border STATES Was 
held in the winter of 1861.°°’ Those invited were Virginia, 
Kentucky, Arkansas, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee and North 
Carolina. For this purpose, further conventions were held in each 
of the above states so that delegates might be sent to the Genera 
Convention. 

Delaware refused even to call a convention for this purpose. 

Tennessee ditto. Its Democratic legislature took it out of the 
Union by coup de main. Admittedly, an Election was later HELD to 
ratify this invalid act. This took place under a REIGN OF TERRORISM. 
More than '/, didn’t vote at all. Of the.remainder, '/; were against 
secession, including the whole of East Tennessee, which at this 
moment is arming to oppose the secessionists. 

Kentucky. 100,000 for the Union ticker, only a few thousand for 
secession. 

Maryland declared itself in favour of Union, and has now elected 
6 Union Men aS members or Concress.?** 

North Carolina and even Arkansas elected Union delegates, the 
former actually by a large majority. Subsequently terrorised. 

Virginia. The people elected a Union convention (by a majority). 
Some of these chaps allowed themselves to be bought. When the 
Southern fever was at its height—fall of Sumter **°—an Orpinance 
oF SECESSION WaS PASSED secretly BY 88 to 55. All other moves—while 
the Ordinance continued to be kept secret—-aimed at the carrurz of 
the Fepnera Navy Yarp at Norro.x and the Federal Armory at Harper's 
Ferry were carried out secretly. Were betrayed to the Fepera 
authorities before their execution. An alliance with Jefferson Davis’ 
GOVERNMENT Was concluded in secret, and a huge mass of CONFEDERATE 
troops was suddenly pitched into the territory. Under their 
protection (truly Bonapartist, this), it now voted for secession. 
50,000 Union vores nevertheless, despite the systematic TERRORISM. AS 
you know, Nortu Western Vircinia has now publicly broken with the 
secessionists. 

Second: Gulf States. A popular vote proper was taken only in a 
few states. In most of them, the conventions, which were chosen to 
decide the attitude of the southern states to Lincoln’s election 
(subsequently, at the Montgomery Congress,” it was they who 
formed the petecares), usurped the power not only to decide on 
secession but also to recognise the Constitution, Jefferson Davis, 
etc. How this actually came about you will learn from the extracts 
below, taken from Southern American papers. 

a See this volume, p. 277. 

Texas, where, after South Carolina, there is the largest save party 
and terrorism, nevertheless 11,000 votes for Union. 

Alabama. No popular vote either on secession or on the new 
Constitution, etc. The convention elected here passep the Orpinance 
oF Secession by 61 votes to 39. The 39 were from the northern 
counties, peopled almost exclusively by whites, but they rep- 
resented more Free men than the 61; for, in accordance with the 
Unrrev States Constitution, each slave-holder also votes for °/; of his 
slaves. 

Louisiana. More Union votes than secession votes were cast at the 
election for delegates to the convention. But the delegates defected. 

The interests of the mountain districts, the west of Carolina, the 
east of Tennessee, the north of Alabama and Georgia, are very 
different from those of the southern swamps. 

The 2nd Decembrist nature**” of all this manoeuvring for 
secession (which is also why the fellows were compelled to provoke 
a war so that with the cry “THe Norru acainst THE Soutn’ they could 
keep the movement going), which will be apparent to you from 
the following excerpts, is also evident from the fact that the 
traitors in Buchanan’s administration who were at the head of the 
movement— War Secretary Floyd, Navy Secretary Toucey, Treas- 
ury Secretary Cobb, Secretary of the Interior Thompson— 
together with the leading senators of the South, were deeply 
involved in the preparations running to many millions which, in the 
course of December 1860, had been referred by Congress (House 
of Representatives) to a Committee of Enquiry. For some of these 
fellows, it was, at least, a question of escaping the penitentiary. 
Hence they are the most willing tools of the 300,000-strong 
SLAVEHOLDERS Oligarchy. It goes without saying that the concentra- 
tion, status, and resources of the latter enable it ro pur pown any 
opposition for the time being. Among one section of the ‘poor 
whites’, they found the mos that served them in place of Zouaves.*"! 

Georgia. “The Griffin Union”: 

‘It is mere mockery for the same men who made the Constitution in 
Montgomery to come back to Georgia and ratify it under the name of a state 
convention.” 

The Macon Journal: 

a Marx quoted American newspapers in English. Words in parentheses are Marx’s 
and are written in German and English. 

‘The State Conventions ... called for another purpose ... assume that they are 
the people, and under such an assumption of power can appoint delegates to a 
General Convention without consulting the people. All the acts of the Congress of their 
Confederacy are passed in secret session with closed doors, and what is done is kept from 
the people.’ 

The Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel (largest Georgia paver): 

‘The whole movement for secession, and the formation of a new Government, so far 
at least as Georgia is concerned’ (and Georgia is the most populous of the slave 
states), ‘proceed on only a quasi consent of the people, and was pushed through, 
under circumstances of great excitement and frenzy— by a fictitious majority. With 
all the appliances brought to bear, etc., the election of the 4th of January showed a 
falling off of nearly 3,000, and an absolute majority of elected deputies of 79. But, 
upon assembling, by wheedling, coaxing, buying, and all the arts of deception, the 
convention showed a majority of 31’ (against Union). ‘... The Georgia Convention and 
the Confederate Congress have gone forward in their work, as none can deny, without 
authority from the people.’ 

Alabama. ‘The Mobile Advertiser’: 

‘The Convention has adopted the permanent Constitution in behalf of the State 
of Alabama... The great fact stands forth that the delegates were not chosen for 
any such purpose.’ 

The North Alabamian: 

‘The Convention made haste to usurp the prerogative, and ratify the 
Constitution... It is a remarkable fact that the substantial, physical force of the 
country, the hardfisted, handworking men, expected to do all the fighting when 
the country calls, were from the beginning opposed to the Ordinance of Secession. 

Mississippi. Similar complaints about usurpation in the Jackson 
Mississippian and Vicksburg Whig. 

Louisiana. ‘New Orleans True Delta’: 

‘Here secession succeeded only by suppressing the election returns... The 
government has been changed into despotism.: 

At the Srare Convention of Louisiana (New Orleans) on 21 March 
1861, orp Roselius (one of the leading vourrictans in the Unrrep 
States), said: 

‘The Montgomery instrument34 ... did not inaugurate a government of the 
people, but an odious and unmitigated oligarchy. The people had not been permitted 
to act in the matter.’> 

4 Marx quotes J. Guthrie [Address to the citizens of Louisville, Kentucky, on 
16 March in reference to the condition of the country]. His source was probably the 
New-York Daily Tribune, No. 6210, 21 March 1861. - > Ch. Roselius’ speech in the 
Convention of Louisiana on 21 March 1861, New-York Daily Tribune, No. 6217, 
29 March 1861. 

In Louisville, Kentucky, Senator Guthrie (pro-stavery MAN, Treas- 
ury Secretary under Pierce) said on 16 March 1861 that the whole 
movement was a ‘plot’ and ‘usurpation’. Inter alia: 

‘In Alabama a majority of the popular vote was cast against going out, but a 
small majority of the delegates were for secession, they took Alabama out, and 
refused the people to have any voice in the matter. The vote of Louisiana, too, was 
against secession, but the delegates suppressed it,’ etc. 

Your 
K. M.