+ [Brussels,] Saturday [18 March 1848] 

Dear Marx, 

I shall send off your things. 

Write a few lines to M. Victor Faider, avocat,? either direct or 
enclosed {in a letter] to Bloss, thanking him for the steps he has 
taken on behalf of you and your wife, and authorising him to take 
further steps. Faider, who has suddenly turned out to be a zealous 
republican, has constituted himself your defence counsel and as 
such will reply to the Moniteur belge,” and follow the matter up. He 
hopes you won’t disavow him and, to enable him to take a 
determined stand, you would do well to send him a note. It is 
better that a Belgian, rather than Maynz, should pursue the case 
and, since he has offered his services, he will probably do his job 
properly. 

You really must send the feuille de route‘ The thing is badly 
needed; Maynz asks after it daily. 

Tedesco’s been released and left for Liege immediately, without 
seeing a soul. Esselens was here for a few days, but he didn’t see 
him, 

The Bourse, finance, industry and trade here are in the throes 
of an unprecedented crisis. In the Café Suisse, Commerce is 
moping about with nothing to do, Messrs Kauwerz, Lauffs and Co. 
go creeping round with their tails between their legs, the workers 
have held rassemblements’ and handed in petitions, a general and 
serious food shortage. Cash is nowhere to be had, and withal an 
emprunt forcé of 60 millions! Ivil be the Bourse that will impose 
the Republic on them here. 

Liining returned here to be confronted with the news that 
there’s a hue and cry after him in Prussia; he is going to send for 
his wife and come to Paris. 

Before he fled, Dronke was accepted into the League’ by 
Willich and Co. I subjected him to a fresh examination here, 

a Jawyer - > Reference to a tendentious item on Marx’s expulsion from Belgium in 
Le Moniteur belge, No. 72, 12 March 1848. - © way-bill - 4 meetings - € a compulsory 
loan - f the Communist League 

expounded our views to him and, since he declared himself to be 
in agreement with them, confirmed his admission. One could 
hardly have done otherwise, even if there had been an element of 
doubt. However, the fellow’s very modest, very young and seems 
to all appearances very responsive, so I think that, with a little 
supervision and some study, he will turn out well. In my presence 
he retracted all his earlier writings.* Unfortunately he lives with 
Moses?” who will thus be working on him in between whiles, but, as we 
know, that is of no consequence. With Liining, to whom he had 
become frightfully attached, only a couple of words were needed to 
unsaddle him. 

Moses, by the way, is friendlier than ever—just try to 
understand the fellow! 

I can’t do anything with Cassel, since Maynz has the ordre,“ not 
me. Breyer pleads the financial crisis, the impossibility, just now, 
of arranging a deferred settlement of his old bills, the refusal of 
all his patients to pay. He even says that he intends to sell his one 
and only horse. However I will see what gs to be had, for I can 
hardly manage with the money from Maynz, and Hess’ payment, 
which was the first, has already gone the way of all flesh. Gigot is 
also in a fix. I shall go and see Breyer again today. 

Tomorrow’s Débat social will contain a detailed refutation, mot 
pour mot* of the Moniteur. 

You must further tell Faider that, if he has to have a special 
power of attorney, you will send him one. 

Also write a few lines to M. Bricourt, membre de la Chambre des 
Représentants, who spoke up admirably on your behalf in the 
Chamber '”’ and, at Maynz’s request, put some searching questions 
to the Minister, and who has instituted an enquéte‘ into the affair. 
He is the deputy for Charleroi and, after Castiau, the best of the 
Jot. Castiau has just been to Paris. 

Look through the enclosed scrawl and send it to the Réforme. 
The fellows here need to be constantly provoked. 

Si c'est possible” 1 shall leave on Monday.” But money matters 
are perpetually thwarting my designs. 

I am getting no news at all from England, whether through 
letters or the Star. 

a Reference to E. Dronke’s ‘Berlin’, ‘Polizei-Geschichten’ and ‘Aus dem Volk’ 
published in 1846 and showing influence of ‘true socialism’. - Hess - © bill - 
4 blow by blow; the article ‘Encore et toujours l’expulsion de M. Marx’ in Le Débat 
Social of 19 March 1848 appears to have been written by V. Faider. - © Minister of 
Justice Fr. Haussy - enquiry - 8 F. Engels, ‘The Situation in Belgium’ - » If 
possible 

In Germany things are going very well indeed, riots everywhere 
and the Prussians aren’t giving way. Tant mieux.’ I hope we shan’t 
have to remain very long in Paris. 

How excellent that you are throwing out Bornstedt.” The fellow 
has proved so unreliable that his expulsion from the League is 
essential. He and Weerth are now allied and Weerth is running 
round here as a fanatical republican. 

Lamartine is becoming daily more depraved. In all his speeches 
the man addresses himself exclusively to the bourgeoisie and seeks 
to pacify them. Even the Provisional Government’s Electoral Pro- 
clamation is directed wholly at the bourgeoisie in order to reas- 
sure them. Small wonder that the creatures are becoming uppish. 

Adios, au revoir. 

F. E. 

All letters to be sent here to the address I have given; en mon 
absence Bloss will give them to Gigot. 

[On the back of the letter] 

M. Marx 
Rue neuve Ménilmontant