MARX TO LEON FONTAINE” 

[Draft] 

[London,] 25 July 1865 

Dear Citizen, 

Some considerable time ago I sent a letter to you by an 
Englishman, who was to visit Germany and travel through 
Brussels. Since then I have had no news, either from you or from 
my Englishman. I shall not refer back to my reply to your letter, 
but will deal solely with current matters. 

Mr Le Lubez has rejoined the Central Council as delegate from 
an English branch,” and the Italian society in London” has 
reinstated Mr Wolff as its representative on the Council.‘ 

Mr Charles Limousin, one of our correspondents in Paris and 
editor of the Tribune ouvriére.., following the seizure of the 
Tribune ouvriére, and being unable to find another printer in Paris, 
went to Brussels in an attempt to bring out the paper there. Whilst 

« General Association of German Workers - > in Greenwich (see this volume, 
p. 158) - ¢ See this volume, p. 162. 

there, he investigated the state of our affairs. He was told that, 
after it had unanimously approved your proposal that it should 
amalgamate with our Association, the Société Fédérative had 
withdrawn: 

1. because it insisted on the right to choose its own correspon- 
dents and not have them imposed on it by the Central Council; 

2. because it refused to pay for the membership cards, although 
it remitted If. 50 just as before. 

According to Mr Limousin’s letter, you had then approached the 
Société typographique, but with the same result owing to the same 
difficulties. 

With regard to the election of correspondents, the Central 
Council has acknowledged the right of affiliated societies to choose 
their own representatives. It has only retained the power to 
confirm them. Things were different in Brussels because no 
society had yet been constituted there. Would it not be possible to 
reach a compromise, whereby the societies would accept you as 
their correspondent, but they would, for their part, choose an 
administrative committee, as was done in Paris and Geneva? 

With regard to the dues, the societies will readily realise that the 
Central Council would be prevented from any general action if all 
the affiliated societies claimed the right not to pay dues. It appears 
that the objection is to paying dues twice. Would it not be possible 
to find an amicable solution to these matters? The Central Council 
will make any concession compatible with its responsibilities. 

For my part, I am convinced that your actions were dictated 
solely by your zeal for the common cause, and I am appealing to 
this same zeal in asking you to work for reconciliation and 
restoration of relations. You would oblige me greatly by replying 
immediately, firstly because I have to give the Central Council a 
report on this affair, and secondly because a preliminary conference 
of members of the various administrative committees will be taking 
place in London on 25 September.?"” 

The Central Council is persuaded that the congress cannot take 
place this year, but the preliminary conference in London will 
make preparations for it.* 

With fraternal greetings 
Ch. Marx