[London,] 13 February 1855 
28 Dean Street, Soho 

Dear Engels, 

Firstly an acknowledgement of receipt of the ‘suLtion, and 
secondly of today’s splendid article. For the past 4-5 days I have 
been prevented from writing, hence also to you, by a severe 
inflammation of the eyes which is not yet fully cleared up: also, as 
a result of the cold weather my usuat secretary* has not risen from 
her bed again as quickly as is her wont. However I think that she 
will shortly be able to return to her post. My eye trouble was 
brought on by reading through my own _ note-books on 
economics,°! the intention being, not so much to elaborate the 
thing, as at any rate to master the material and get it ready to work 
on. 

I have told you how Herzen elbowed his way on to the 
‘International Committee’. Enclosed is a letter from him in which 
he proffers thanks for the ‘invitation’ which ‘was never made’. The 
letter was intended for publication in The People’s Paper in order to 
assert his importance coram publico This miscarried, for I 
immediately wheedled the scrawl out of Jones. However Herzen 
has had himself nominated a steward. 

4 true democracy -> F. Engels, “The Struggle in the Crimea’. -¢ Jenny 
Marx. - 4 See previous letter, - © publicly 

Also enclosed a 2nd letter, in which this committee invites me to 
the banquet and ‘to take part in the mrerinc’, I do not want to 
offend the crapauds,’ still less the Chartists. So the question is: in 
what form 1 should couch my refusal. Tell me your view by return. 
The thing must be declined, 1. because such mretincs are, on the 
whole, Humsuc; 2. because at this moment it would be to expose 
oneself uselessly to Governmental PERSECUTION, and Palmerston has his 
eye on me; 3. because at no time and in no place do I wish to 
appear alongside Herzen, not being of the view that orp Europe 
should be rejuvenated with Russian blood.“ Should one’s reply, 
perhaps, include some reference to Herzen’s presence? 

Jones has done something infinitely ‘stupid’, indeed gone 
completely off the rails, in leaving the management of the affair to 
the crapauds and the German louts. He sacrificed everything to the 
desire to show, at a big Pusiic meeting, that the FOREIGN EMIGRATIONS 
were in the tow of the Chartists. The mzerinc will be a large one 
and create an uproar, but as a result: 1. Urquhart and Co. 
(likewise The Times if the thing creates a sensation) will denounce 
the Chartists as being led by Russian agents. This is unavoidable. 
2. It will provide the Ministry with a pretext for reviving the 
Aliens Bill.” 3. Discord within the Chartist Party. Has already 
broken out. A section of the London Chartists maintains that 
Jones has arsirrarity departed from the Charter and compromised 
their whole cause by adopting the slogan ‘social AND DEMOCRATIC 
Repusuic’? when forming the branch committee which is to be the 
CONNECTING LINK between the Chartists and the Foreign EMIGRATION” 
There is no denying the extent of Jones’ energy, persistence and 
activity, yet he goes and spoils everything by the way he cries his 
wares, by his tactless striving after pretexts for agitation and his 
anxiety to be ahead of the time. If he can’t agitate in reality, he 
seeks an appearance of agitation, improvises Movements after 
Movements (so that, of course, everything remains at a standstill) 
and periodically works himself up into a state of fictitious 
exaltation. I have warned him, but in vain. 

Mr Golovin—Herzen’s fidus Achates‘-——has inserted in today’s 
Morning Advertiser, under the heading ‘February Revolution’, a 
small notice to the effect that 

‘he has heard that Herzen is to represent Russia, OR RATHER LIBERAL RUSSIA, at 
the banquet. His name alone betrays that he is a German, or rather a German Jew. 

a philistines - > A reference to “The Alliance of the Peoples. The International 
Committee’, The People’s Paper, No. 145, 10 February 1855. - © faithful Achates 
(Virgil, Aeneid) 

In Russia the Czar is criticised for making especial use of these people. The 
emigration should take care not TO FALL INTO THE SAME ERROR’.@ 

If, as the Paris correspondent writes in the 2Np epition of today’s 
Morning Chronicle,” Bonaparte minor‘ assumes personally the 
supreme command of the Army of the Rhine against Prussia, the 
‘campagne’ might end badly for the French. 

Your 
K. M.