MARX TO ENGELS” 

[London,] 10 February 1865 

Dear Frederick, 

The thing? is good. Although the style is too slapdash in places, it 
would be nonsense to polish or elaborate it at all now, as the main 
thing is to get it Out IN THE Nick oF TIME, as the conflict '”° is ‘all ready’ 
on the point of being resolved. 

My advice therefore is this: 

Send the pamphlet straight to Meissner in Hamburg and tell him 
that speed of publication is paramount; and he should let you know 
immediately whether he will take it (leaving him to decide the fee), 
because then you would attract attention to the thing in advance in 
the Berlin and Rhineland papers. 

The thing is much too long and ‘too cheeky’ for the 
Social-Demokrat in present circumstances. But I would arrange for 
notices, short ones, in the Social-Demokrat (through Eccarius), in 
the Düsseldorfer Zeitung through Siebel, and maybe even send a 
notice to the Rheinische Zeitung, to the effect that a pamphlet by 
you is being published at such and such a place, in which you are 
simply setting out our position on this specific question, as 
opposed to that of the Reaction, men of Progress’? and 
Lassalleans, along with treatment of the purely military QUESTION. 

Even if there are still things you have got to add to it, send the 
manuscript immediately ad Meissnerem (Hamburg) all the same and 
tell him that a few additions are to follow relating to such-and- 
such page (you can mark the places). There should have been 

a F. Engels, The Prussian Military Question and the German Workers’ Party. 

rather more mention of the country people, which your German lout 
is far too inclined to ignore as non-existent. To judge by Strohn’s 
last letter, he himself is probably away from Hamburg again, so 
that the piece cannot be sent to him but will have to go direct to 
Meissner. 

An evil wind of reconciliation is blowing in Berlin, fanned from 
the direction of Russia this time and further strengthened by the 
turn for the worse in the business with Austria. The Petersburger 
Zeitung advises unconditionally making concessions to the chamber 
in the matter of budget-approval and two-year military service. It says, 
amongst other things: 

‘The present time appears to us, if not an alarming one, then, nevertheless, a 
grave one, and if circumstances do not become especially advantageous, it is still to 
be feared that the future will be dismal. In times of distress and danger, however, as 
history has proved only too often, the strict enforcement of discipline in the army and the 
civil service is rarely enough on its own. The real power of the state is then based, as it 
always is in general, far more on the unity of government and people. Although we 
do not underestimate the conciliatory manner, in which the government approached 
the people’s representation in this year’s session, nevertheless, in view of what we 
have just said, we cannot suppress the desire that this conciliatory spirit may also 
spread to action.’ 

It appears that the Muscovites need their Prussians for the 
wheeling-movement they are about to execute against Austro- 
Galicia, as announced in the Moscow Newspaper According to the 
same Moscow Newspaper, this final subjugation of Poland, which 
however necessarily means the ruthless continuation of Muraviov’s 
policy, would ‘open a hole into the heart of Germany’. Our good ‘men 
of Progress’ and equally good ‘Lassalleans’ are missing all that by 
sleeping. 

Letter from Schily enclosed. 

To Moses’* great distress, the ‘International Association’ 1S 
creating a great stir amongst the workers in Paris. As a result of 
Moses’ gaffe, Tolain has stepped down. (We have not formally 
accepted his resignation.) H. Lefort (editor of the Avenir,‘ etc.), 
who is also on the editorial committee of L’Association, has at his 
request been appointed .literary DEFENDER (Attorney Generac) Of our 
Association in Paris. The latter is already under attack from Horn 
(a paragraph in the Rules’*’). This Jew Horn will soon notice that 
Moses Hess is not the only German around. Fribourg has opened a 

* Quoted (with some digressions) from the article ‘Die Eröffnung der preussischen 
Landtags-Session’ published in St.-Petersburger Zeitung, No. 10, 14 (26) January 
1865. Italics by Marx. - Mocxoscxia ssdomocmu - © Moses Hess - ¢ L’Avenir natio- 
nal 

bureau de renseignement* for us; carps OF MEMBERSHIP Were sent to him 
the day before yesterday. 

At the preparatory session for the Polish meeting,” I also saw 
orp Oborski again, who does not send his regards. 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M. 

Apropos. The fact that Lincoln answered us! so courteously 

and the ‘Bourgeois Emancipation Society’ ''? so brusquely and purely 
formally” made the The Daily News so indignant that they did not 
print the answer to us. However, since they saw, to their dismay, 
that The Times was doing so, they had to publish it later in The 
Express“ Levy also had to eat humble pie. The difference between 
Lincoln’s answer to us and to the bourgeoisie has created such a 
sensation here that the West End ‘clubs’ are shaking their heads at 
it. You can understand how gratifying that has been for our 
people.