45 

MARX TO WERNER von VELTHEIM 

Zalt-Bommel, 29 September [1847] 

Dear Veltheim, 

It will surprise you to receive a letter from me, whom you will 
by now have all but forgotten. 

I will explain to you briefly the reason why I am writing. 

You know the present state of affairs in Germany respecting the 
press. The censorship makes virtually every rational undertaking 
impossible. On the other hand, such a confusion of views prevails 
that German literature, after having laboriously achieved a certain 
unity, is threatened with disintegrating again into a host of local 
literatures—those of Berlin, Saxony, the Rhineland, Baden, etc.’ 
Within these fragmented literatures, moreover, we find in turn a 
welter of the most heterogeneous religious, political and social 
views. 

Friends in Germany have drawn my attention to the fact that 
precisely now, in this state of anarchy, the needs of the day would 
be exactly met by a comprehensive and regular review which, 
while. maintaining a critical attitude towards all these parties and 
views, would not derive its criticism from preconceived principles, 
but would rather portray the correlation between Germany’s 
political, religious and social parties and aspirations, and also their 
literature, on the one hand, and German economic conditions, on 
the other—a review in which, therefore, political economy would 
play a leading role. That a periodical would be out of the question 
in Germany itself was a point upon which all were agreed. 

It was therefore decided in Brussels to bring out, subsequent to 
an issue of shares, a periodical of this kind, the editorial side of 
which would be under my supervision. It was also decided to es- 
tablish our own type-setting and printing shop out of the pro- 
ceeds of the shares in order to reduce the costs of production. 

Since subscriptions for these shares are being collected all over 
Germany—at 25 talers a share—I should like to ask you whether 
you and your acquaintances might wish to associate yourselves 
with this enterprise. 

To me it seems beyond dispute that clarity of consciousness can 
be introduced into the now highly fragmented German movement, 

as into the modern movement generally, only by elucidating in the 
first. place the relations of production and examining and 
appraising the other spheres of social existence in connection with 
them. 

An exact statement of income and expenditure would be 
rendered annually. The number of shares amounts to two 
hundred. ” ; 

When you reply kindly do so to the following address: A Mr 
Charles Marx, Bruxelles, Fbg Namur, Rue d’Orléans 42. 

I am only here in Holland for a few days on a family matter 
and am staying with my uncle.* 

Yours faithfully 
Karl Marx 

Have you heard anything of Edgar?