Manchester, 17 December 1850 

Dear Marx, 

I have been exceptionally busy of late and have had other 
interruptions which have forced me out of my customary routine 
and prevented me from writing. Hence my belated reply. 

The Fanon-Caperon-Gouté manifesto* is truly a masterpiece, 
both in form and content. Crénerie> has found its ultimate 
expression, and Monsieur Barthélemy has at last given the world 
an example of ce que c’est que de parler carrément. The military 
dispositions of the homme de marbre’ are equally funny; the 
bonhomme has counted most of the Austrian army corps twice 
over, as the most cursory reference to the newspapers will show. 
Incidentally, it’s really taking effrontery too far after all the fiascos 
since 1848, and with all the nations, crapauds' first and foremost, 
in their present easy-going mood, to speak of a marée populaire qui 
menace d’engloutir des trones.2 The collection of names at the bottom 
is undoubtedly the finest feature of the whole. No such European 
congress has ever been seen before. Ledru-Rollin, Mazzini and Co. 
actually acquire a certain importance from this puerile affair. For 
that matter, I’d like to know in what way that milksop 
Sawaszkiewicz, who appears at the bottom, differs from Ledru- 

4 See this volume, pp. 246-47. - > Swagger - © what blunt speaking is - 4 man of 
marble (iron) - € chap -  philistines - 8 a popular tide which is threatening to engulf 
thrones 

Rollin’s Polack Darasz, and to what extent the two Hungarians, 
who appear at the bottom, are to be preferred to Mazzini. True, 
Schapper and Ruge are more or less equally matched and, unless 
the cockroach Dietz tips the scales heavily in favour of the new 
European committee, these gentry will hardly be able to compete 
with their prototype.*** 

Recently I went to see John Watts; the fellow seems skilled in 
sharp practice and now has a much larger shop in Deansgate, 
somewhat further up. He has become a consummate radical 
mediocrity, is concerned with nothing but the Educational MOVEMENT, 
raves about moral force*’? and has accepted Mr Proudhon as his 
lord and master. He has translated the Contradictions économiques* 
and some other stuff and has lost a great deal of money at it, since 
English workers have not yet sufficient ‘education’ to enable them 
to understand these marvellous things. From a few instances he 
gave me, it transpired that he knows very well how to boost his 
tailoring business by parading his bourgeois liberalism. On the 
EDUCATIONAL Committees he sits fraternally alongside his once inveter- 
ate foes, the dissenting ministers,**° from time to time accepting 
their vote of thanks For THE VERY ABLE ADDRESS HE DELIVERED ON THAT EVENING. 
It seemed to me that the fellow has lost all his wits in the 
metamorphosis and I have not been to see him since. For people 
hereabouts who are thus transmuted into a state of bourgeois 
respectability, Proudhon is, of course, heaven sent; though 
seemingly going further than anyone else, further even than 
Owen, he is nevertheless quite RESPECTABLE. 

I have no objection to writing about Mr Mazzini and the Italian 
business. Only—save for the thing in The Red [Republican]’—1 
haven't got a single one of Mazzini’s writings. However I shan’t be 
able to do anything before Christmas since I shall be in London a 
week hence. I shall then bring back with me what I need. But 
perhaps by that time something else will have occurred to us. 

Very many thanks to your wife for her amiable note.* As for the 
COTTON Lord, it hasn’t come to that yet; my old man doesn’t seem at 
all inclined to keep me here any longer than is absolutely 
necessary. Cependant nous verrons.’ Peter Ermen is going round in 
circles like a fox that has left its brush in a trap, and is trying to 

a P. J. Proudhon, Systeme des contradictions économiques, ou Philosophie de la miseére. - 
b J. Mazzini, Republic and Royalty in Italy.-° See this volume, pp. 250-51. - 
4 However, we shall see. 

make things too hot for me here—the stupid devil imagines he 
could annoy me! 

Dronke has been written to.**! 

My regards to your wife and children. 

Your 
F. E.