Draf 
[Draft] [London,] 7 January 1872 

Dear Sir, 

I regret that you found neither me nor Mr Engels at home. You 
seem to proceed in your letters from the idea that we form a 
distinct party in the Council. If we opposed Mr Hales in what we 
considered wrong, we did only our duty and would, under the 
same circumstances, have followed the same line of conduct 

a The Eastern Post, Nos. 168 and 169, 16 and 23 December 1871 (see preceding 
letter) - > F. Engels, ‘The Congress of Sonvillier and the International’. - © K. Marx, 
General Rules and Administrative Regulations of the International Working Men’s 
Association. - 4 Crossed out in the original: ‘as members of the Council’. 

181. Engels to Terzaghi. After 6 January 1872 291 

towards any other member of the Council.*” This, however, has 
nothing to do with party. We know of no parties in the Council. 
There are among the friends of Mr Hales very worthy men who 
have worked for a long time in our cause. 

If Mr Mottershead has ‘consented to stand for the secretary- 
ship’, we at all events did not invite him to do so. His position as 
paid secretary of the ‘Labour Representation League’ *” makes the 
thing almost impossible. Mr Engels told you expressly after last 
Tuesday’s meeting* that his mind was not yet made up as [to] who 
was the proper person to vote for, and for the present we see 
difficulties on all sides. Hence we have resolved to leave our 
continental friends to their own discretion. 

In our opinion the important thing is, to settle the position and 
composition of the Federal Council. As to the secretaryship, it is 
mainly a personal matter which need not and, perhaps, cannot be 
settled in a hurry. At all events this will depend upon cir- 
cumstances. 

Yours truly, 

K. M.