[London,] 6 February [1865] 

Dear Engels, 

As good luck would have it, in the feuilleton section in the 
Social-Demokrat which arrived today your call for the crushing of 
the aristocracy comes right after my article‘ condemning even a 
‘pseudo-compromise’. 

In the first instance, I now believe it is better to send in the few 
lines below,’ instead of the statement I had originally intended.‘ 
They will inevitably provide the occasion for a further statement. But 

aif there are grounds for doing so-» Karl Emil Blank -¢ F. Engels, ‘Herr 
Tidmann. Old Danish Folk Song’, K. Marx, ‘On Proudhon [Letter to 
J. B. Schweitzer]. - 4 See this volume, pp. 75, 76-77. 

my ‘aesthetic’ sense tells me—on further reflection—that the 
latter would not be entirely appropriate, because it would come too 
soon after Becker’s apprar.'*° These few lines, on the other hand, 
will quite certainly provoke a real tussle between Schweitzer and 
Red Becker etc., in which we can then intervene and declare our 
policy briefly, forcefully and without any beating about the bush. 

I enclose letter from the unfortunate Liebknecht' and note 
sent him by the old Hatzfeldt woman; there is still not enough 
‘Lassalle’ in the paper? for her liking. 

As ro Klings, I am not going to answer at all. Let the fellows 
manage by themselves.” 

Letter from Schily just received (can only send it to you in a few 
days time), from which it emerges: 

1. that Moses’* insinuations were pure invention, 

2. that our plan will have a ‘fantastic effect in Paris, and the 
workers there are not taking any notice whatsoever of L’Associa- 
tion, which Mr A. Horn, L6b Sonnemann and other riff-raff use 
to indulge their self-importance.” 

If the attached statement meets with your approval, make a 
copy of it and sign it. Then send it back. I will then put my name 
to it as well and post the thing to Berlin. 

Apropos. Lincoln’s answer to us is in today’s Times.’ 

| Postscript] 

Liebknecht’s private address is: ‘13 Neuenburger Strasse, 
Berlin’. You can send to Mrs Liebknecht at that address whenever 
you want to write privately. Poor W. Liebknecht is obviously in an 
exceedingly embarrassing situation. He will have to be told that it 
is a case of either bending or breaking. In the latter case, I should 
think he could certainly earn an honest living as a schoolmaster in 
Manchester.