[London,] 20 July 1861 

Dear Engels, 

I do not believe that you can apply to the Prussian Embassy in 
London for a ‘certificate of good conduct’**” without presenting 
the fellows with a document most compromising to yourself. 

Neither under Prussian nor international law is the Prussian 
Embassy a supervisory body obliged to issue testimenia as to the 

4 See this volume, p. 216. - > Antonie Johannes Wouters van Anrooij - © attempt - 
d ‘handsome William’ 

conduct of foreigners or Prussians. Only insofar as it issues 
passports does it have to consider whether someone’s reputation, 
either as a result of a court decision or by rumor publicus, is that of 
a.criminal. As for the rest, it is supposed To KNOW NOTHING about private 
inpivipuats. What it does know, it knows per abusum* as a 
moucharderie” institution. Thus, a certificate of good conduct from 
that quarter would be tantamount to a certificate of good conduct 
from the illegal (and hence officially non-existent) secret political 
police, sub auspiciis’ of Alberts, the Embassy clerk. But you cannot 
recognise such an authority, and the chief of police in Barmen 
would be very hard put to it, were you to ask him to indicate the 
paragraph in the Prussian statute book according to which the 
Prussian Embassy in London possesses such attributes. 

The same cannot be said of the Prussian consul in Manchester. 
Consuls are commercial, not political representatives of their state. 
Hence they are suprosen to know the businessmen of their locality 
and, in particular, those of their own nationality. Hence the consul 
would be able to give a certificate to the effect that X. X. has lived 
in Manchester for 10 years as a respectable businessman and is 
known to be such. The Prussian government has no right 
whatever to demand any other kind of testimonial and would be 
too cautious to do so officially. But the former it can demand, 
because your request for renaturalisation has put you on the same 
footing as foreigners of whom suchlike testimonials, etc., may be 
required when they apply for naturalisation in Prussia. 

The Prussian government has no more right to demand any sort 
of testimonial concerning your political conduct than, say, a 
confession of political faith executed by you yourself. 

I have heard nothing more either from Vienna“ or from Dana, 
although the latter sends me the Tribune every week. 

Brockhaus will not definitely make up his mind‘ until I have 
sent him the manuscript. This is a far from pleasant condition 
since he will submit the manuscript to the judgment of his idiots 
of literary advisers over there. Come to that, I’m not progressing 
as fast as I should like, owing to much domestic rrovuste. 

Have you read any of Lassalle’s book‘? Have you sent the book 
to my cousin’? This last is of importance to me, since I am sorely 
in need of that youth’s bons offices.” 

Lassalle and the countess' are at a spa near Frankfurt am Main. 

« by abuse - > institution for police spies - “ under the auspices of - “4 See this 
volume, p. 292. - ¢ ibid., pp. 274 and 285. - ! F. Lassalle, Das System der erworbenen 
Rechte. - § August Philips - good offices - i Sophie von Hatzfeldt