[Paris, 23-24 November 1847] 

Dear Marx, 

Not until this evening was it decided that I should be coming. 
Saturday evening,” then, in Ostend, Hotel de la Couronne, just 
opposite the railway station beside the harbour, anp Sunpay Morninc 
ACROSS THE WATER. If you take the train that leaves between 4 and 5, 
you'll arrive at about the same time as I do. 

If, contrary to expectations, there is no packet-boat to Dover on 
Sundays, write and-tell me by return. I. e., since you will receive 
this letter on Thursday morning, you must make inquiries at once 
and, should a letter be necessary, it must be posted the same 
evening—before five o’clock, I think—at the main post office. So 
if you want to make any changes as regards the meeting place 
there is still time. If I haven’t heard by Friday morning | shall 
count on meeting you and Tedesco on Saturday evening at the 
Couronne. We shall then have time enough to talk things over; 
this congress must be a decisive one, 4s THIS TIME WE SHALL HAVE IT ALL 
OUR OWN WAY. 

For a long time now I have been completely at a loss to 
understand why you have not put a stop to Moses’ gossip.” It’s 
been giving rise to the most devilish confusion for me here and 
the most tedious contradictory speeches to the workers. Entire 
district sittings have been wasted over it, nor is there any 
possibility of effectively combating this ‘vapid’ nonsense in the 
communities; particularly before the elections there could be no 
question of it. 

I expect to see L. Blanc again tomorrow. If not, I shall in any 
case see him the day after tomorrow. If I have nothing to add at 
the end of this letter, you will hear the sequel on Saturday. 

By the way, Reinhardt talked nonsense to me about the number 
of copies sold“—-not 37, but 96 had been sold a week ago today. 
That same day I myself took your book to L. Blanc. All the copies 
had been despatched save to Lamartine (not here), L. Blanc and 

2 27 November 1847 - > Probably a series of articles by Moses Hess. - © K. Marx, The 
Poverty of Philosophy. 

A page from Engels’ letter to Marx of 23-24 November 1847 

Vidal, whose address cannot be found. I have had it taken to the 
Presse. ; 
By the way, Frank’s despatch arrangements have been truly 
appalling. 
At least see that Moses doesn’t get up to any nonsense during 
our absence! Au revoir, then! 

Your 
E. 

Tuesday evening 
Verte? 

Give a little thought to the Confession of Faith. I think we 
would do best to abandon the catachetical form and call the thing 
Communist Manifesto.” Since a certain amount of history has to be 
narrated in it, the form hitherto adopted is quite unsuitable. I 
shall be bringing with me the one from here, which I did‘; it is in 
simple narrative form, but wretchedly worded, in a tearing hurry. 
I start off by asking: What is communism? and then straight on to 
the proletariat—the history of its origins, how it differs from 
earlier workers, development of the antithesis between the 
proletariat and the bourgeoisie, crises, conclusions. In between, all 
kinds of secondary matter and, finally, the communists’ party 
policy, in so far as it should be made public. The one here has not 
yet been submitted in its entirety for endorsement but, save for a 
few quite minor points, I think I can get it through in such a form 
that at least there is nothing in it which conflicts with our views. 

Wednesday morning 

Have just received your letter '*’ to which the above is an answer. I 
went to see L. Blanc. I’m remarkably unlucky with him— wl est en 
voyage, il reviendra peut-étre aujourd’hui’ 1 shall go there again 
tomorrow and, if necessary, the day after. 

I can’t be in Ostend by Friday evening because the money won’t 
have been got together until Friday. 

This morning your cousin Philips came to see me. 

Born should make quite a good speech if you drum something 
into him. It’s good that the Germans are represented by a working 
man.'** But Lupus must be purged of all trace of his excessive 

a PTO - > Cf. K. Marx and F. Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party. - ¢ F. Engels, 
‘Principles of Communism’. - 4 he’s travelling and will perhaps be back today. 

modesty. The good fellow is one of those rare people who have to 
be thrust into the foreground. Not Weerth, for heaven’s sake, as 
representative! A man who was always too lazy, until pitchforked 
by his succés d’un jour at the Congress.'*’ And who, to boot, wishes to 
be an independent Member. Il faut le retenir dans sa sphére.