[London,] 19 July 1859 

Dear Frederick, 

I would gladly have written the article on the peace, for it would 
simply have meant combining last Friday’s and today’s articles for the 
Tribune.” They were, moreover, good articles, for ira facit poetam< 
However, as Biskamp has begun the thing, has already announced No. 
II,4 and is effectively, or at least nominally, in command, decency 
precludes one interfering in this way. Once he is in Edmonton, his 
very remoteness will ensure that at crucial moments such as this the 

a Friedrich Kamm - > Marx refers to his articles ‘The Peace’ and “The Treaty of 
Villafranca’. - © Anger gives wings to one’s words. An allusion to ‘Facit indignatio 
versum’—‘Indignation makes verse’ (Juvenal, Satires, I, 79). - ¢ [E. Biskamp,] ‘Der 
Friede von Villa Franca’, Das Volk, No. 11, 16 July 1859. The second instalment was 
published in the next issue of Das Volk on 23 July. 

LEADER Can be taken out of his hands without hurt to his amour 
propre-—which is all he gets out of it. 

But what the two of us can do to put some stiffening into the 
next issue, is support him on his left and right flanks. On the 
pretext of discussing Urquhart’s document,’ I shall briefly sum up 
Russia’s part in this tragi-comedy and at the same time disparage 
Bonaparte.** You, on the pretext of writing a final article on 
military affairs, must also set about Bonaparte, etc. (and on the 
same occasion take a swipe at Prussia). In my view it is of the 
utmost importance morally that a belief in Bonaparte’s greatness 
should not be allowed to arise among the Germans. As for 
Austria, the agreed tine we have adopted of blaming everything on 
the sovereign‘ is sufficient. 

Ad vocem‘ the document. Fell into the hands of the ‘Prince of 
Prussia’* during the regency crisis on the occasion of Manteuffel’s 
sudden removal. More than that is not to be coaxed out of 
Urquhart’s idiots. Certain passages have been forged because they 
didn’t get hold of the complete document.” The authenticity of the 
whole is vouched for by the style peculiar to all, even ‘secret’, 
Russian documents, in which certain stereotyped, conventional 
untruths take turn and turn about. It is a tineeven Pozzo di Borgo 
adopts in his writing. The plain truth about Russia’s machinations 
comes to light only with the chance publication of the documents 
of Russian agents not in the direct employ of the Russian state. 
E.g. Theyls’ (a Dutchman) and Patkul’s (came out in Berlin in 
1796) memoirs and correspondence.' 

Portfolio. I shall obtain for you (and myself) from Paris the 
complete edition published there of the papers of which the 
Portfolio was allowed to contain only those authorised by Palmer- 
ston. 

Volk. Agents’ remuneration reduced to '/od. Expenditure has 
been heavy because Biskamp required personal sustenance; 
because the rows the fellows were having with each other during 
my absence *** meant that the administration was at sixes and 
sevens; because the entire staff has been changed since my return. 
By the end of the week I shall have a full statement of accounts. This 
involves a great deal of work in view of the way the thing has been 
run hitherto. £4-£5 worth of advertising will have to be obtained 

a ‘Memoir on Russia, for the Instruction of the Present Emperor’, The Free Press, 
No. 7, 13 July 1859. - > F, Engels, ‘The Italian War. Retrospect’. - ¢ Francis Joseph 
I-4 As regards - ¢ William - f W. Theyls, Mémoires pour servir 4 Uhistoire de Charles 
XI, roi de Suéde; J. R. von Patkul, Berichte an das Zaarische Cabinet in Moscau, von 
seinem Gesandschafts-Posten bei August II, Kénige von Polen, Th. I-III.