London, 7 November 1885 
My dear Laura, 

I have no objection whatever to write a short introduction to the 
Manifesto. But in order to enable me to do so, I ought to know what 
passages in the old preface“ would appear objectionable to the deli- 
cate ears of your Parisian public. I confess I cannot find them out, un- 
less it is one about the Commune which was put in by Mohr himself 
and on which he particularly insisted. Although in my opinion 
our Paris friends give way by far too much to these susceptibilities, 
which ought to be put down as much as possible, I am quite willing 

* G. Adler, Die Geschichte der ersten sozialpolitischen Arbeiterbewegung in Deutschland... - 
> Wermuth/Stieber, Die Communisten-Verschwérungen des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. -° See 
this volume, p. 362. -¢ K. Marx and F. Engels, ‘Preface to the 1872 German Edition 
of the Manifesto of the Communist Party’. 

um des lieben Friedens willen* to please them as much as I can, with- 
out thereby falsifying history or strengthening the belief that all light 
necessarily comes from Paris. It is in my opinion utterly impossible for 
the Manifesto to go out in any language without stating how it origi- 
nated. The conclusion of II, and the whole of III and IV are utterly 
incomprehensible without that. 

‘Mr Broadhouse’ has actually had the impudence of having 
Aveling asked — through Reeves, the publisher—— whether I would 
not collaborate with him in the translation of the Capital!’ I suppose 
you have received the last No. of the Commonweal? If you will let me 
know what Nos. you are short of, I'll see that you get them. 

Nim is as jolly as ever, we have just had a bottle of Pilsener to- 
gether. She was last night at the Lyceum with Pumps to see 
‘Olivia’, # says it is a regular Riihrstiick,° Irving no great shakes, 
Ellen Terry very good. 

Lavigne says he sent his translation of the 18 Brumaire to Paul but 
nothing came of it, what was the reason? I have the thing here, but as 
I am under an engagement with Fortin,‘ dare not look at it, other- 
wise I might be accused of having made undue use of it, so I cannot 
form a judgment as to its merits.  

Next week the grand political spree begins. On the 10th the French 
Chambers, on the 19th or thereabouts the German Reichstag, and 
a week later the elections here.“ Whatever they may turn out in the 
shape of a Parliament, two things are certain: the Irish will command 
the whole by their 80-90 votes, and the Great Liberal Party will 
come, at last, to an end by the separation of the Whigs from the Radi- 
cals and the preparation if not the completion, of the Union between 
Whigs and Tories. *'° 

Kind regards to Paul (11,500 votes) which I hope have not 
quite crushed him. He’ll have better luck next year. 

Yours affectionately, 
F. Engels