{London,] 12 October 1853 

Dear Engels, 

£2 received. It was all the more welcome as Oxford, Freiligrath’s 
principal, is not yet back from his travels, and thus the matter has 
been delayed.” 

As regards the Tribune, I shall have Article IL on Palmerston ‘ 
ready for Friday.* Article III, the final one, which covers the period 
1848-53, calls for so many Blue Books and Parliamentary Debates 
that I can’t possibly have it ready by Tuesday,° particularly with 
Sunday FALLING OUT AS FAR AS THE British Museum 1S CONCERNED. SO it would 
be of enormous use to me and would also save me time if you 
could supply me with something for Tuesday. But what? I really 
don’t know. Perhaps current affairs, to which I would simply ap- 
pend the most recent news. Perhaps, if you have kept up with the 
subject—not very much is wanted ror Messrs GreeLey anp Mc Evratu 
—the influence of the impending crisis on going Away WITH THE 
BONAPARTE REGIME. I think it high time that attention was drawn to 
France where, after all, the catastrophe will break out. Failure of 

a A. Gluss, ‘Das “beste Blatt der Union” und seine “besten Manner” und 
Nationalékonomen’, Die Reform, Nos. 48-51, 14, 17, 21 and 24 September 
1853. - > See this volume, p. 385. - © K. Marx, ‘Lord Palmerston’, Art. IT sent on 
14 October was published in the New-York Daily Tribune, No. 3916, 4 November 
1853 as a leading article under the title ‘II. Palmerston and Russia’. -4 4 
October - © 18 October 

the corn and grape harvests. Paris, with its lower bread prices, 
attracting workers from all over France and thus recruiting the 
revolutionary army, while these new arrivals depress the already 
falling waces of the Parisians. Bread riots in Alsace-Lorraine, 
Champagne. Grumbling by the peasants over the preference given 
to Paris, by the workers over the expensive wooing of the army, by 
the bourgeois over forcible interference with economic laws for 
the benefit of the workers. Falling demand, particularly for luxury 
articles. Closing of workshops beginning. In contrast to the general 
misére, LAVISH EXPENDITURE and stock-jobbing by the Bonaparte family. 
Hollowness of the entire credit system, turned into nothing more or 
less than a colossal institutionalised racket under the direction of 
the Lumpenproletariat emperor and the Jew Fould. Bourse, bank, 
railways, mortgage banks and any other institutionalised racket 
you may care to name. The last days of the Louis Philippe regime 
all over again, but with all the beastliness and none of the reprEminc 
reatures Of the Empire and the Restoration. 

Pressure of the government on the Bank. Tax collector mulcting 
the land more rigorously than ever. Vast difference between the 
advance estimates and the actual budget. All municipal administra- 
tions atrociously in debt—because prosperity has to be propped up. 
Then the influence of the Oriental QUESTION On FUNDS, With the court 
itself dangerously exploiting fluctuations in the stocks. Demoratisa- 
tion of the army. Special stress should be laid on the fact that none 
of the manifestos, proclamations, etc., by Ledru, L. Blanc and 
other kindred spirits of all complexions have succeeded in 
removing the evil, whereas the social and economic crisis is setting 
the whole caboodle in motion, etc. etc. I don’t know, of course, 
whether the subject will appeal to you. At any rate let me know 
whether or not I can expect an articulum* by Tuesday, so that I 
can act accordingly.*” 

Your 
K. M. 

In last week’s Economist—(Saturday’s, so really this week’s) 
there’s all sorts of stuff in its Paris Correspondence.°