ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE*” 

AT LE PERREUX 

Eastbourne, 27 August 1889 
4 Cavendish Place 

My dear Laura, 
That letter-writing at the sea-side is well nigh an impossibility, I 
thought you knew long since. And if, as in my case, a lot of people 

2 Emma Engels 

whom I never saw seem to have conspired to overwhelm me with letters, 
visits, inquiries, requests of all sorts, the impossibility becomes a 
complete fact. Austrian student-clubs, a Viennese inquirer after ‘truth’ 
who wishes to know had he not better devour Hegel (better not, I 
replied), a Romanian socialist in propria persona, an unknown man from 
Berlin now in London, etc, etc., all have come down at once upon me 
and all expect to be attended to at once. So, with six people around me 
in the room whither they are but too often driven by rain, nothing 
remains for me but to retire from time to time to my bedroom and to 
turn that into my ‘office’. 

You had your adventures with Séraphine, Nim had hers with Ellen. 
Which Ellen having been long suspected by the knowing ones was one 
morning reported by the doctor to be six months gone in the way all 
flesh comes into the world and had consequently to leave—about a 
month before we came here. When we return there will be fresh engage- 
ment of someone—perhaps worse. 

I am glad Paul is off on his election trip and moreover with funds 
from his Mamma.? Of the three put up for Marseilles, one, perhaps two, 
may get in; I hope Paul may be one. But anyhow it is a distinct step in 
advance to have once been put up as candidate for the party, and facili- 
tates further moves; especially with a rising party as ours at this moment 
undoubtedly is in France, once a candidate generally means always a 
candidate. 

I do hope Boulangism will come to grief next elections. Nothing 
worse could happen to us than even a succés d’estime of that humbug 
which might prolong, at least, the apparent dilemma: either Boulanger or 
Ferry—a dilemma which alone gives vitality to either scoundrel. If 
Boulanger got well thrashed, and his following reduced, more or less, to 
the Bonapartists, it would prove that this Bonapartist vein in the French 
character—explicable by the inheritance from the great Revolution—is 
gradually dying out. And with the elimination of this incident the regu- 
lar development of French republican evolution would reprendre son 
cours;> the Radicals?°° would, in their new incarnation Millerand, grad- 
ually discredit themselves as much as in the incarnation Clémenceau, and 
the better elements among them pass over to us; the Opportunists!”? 
would lose their last pretext for political existence, that of being at least 
defenders of the republic against pretenders; the liberties conquered by 

b 

‘Anna Virginia Armaignac — > resume its course 

the Socialists would not only be maintained but gradually extended, so 
that our party would be in a better position for fighting its way than 
anywhere else on the Continent; and the greatest danger in war would 
be removed. To believe as the Boulangeo-Blanquists*™* do that by 
sustaining Boulanger they can get a few seats in Parliament is worthy of 
these ignorant purs* who would burn down a village in order to fry a 
cotelette. It is to be hoped that this experience will do Vaillant good. He 
knows perfectly what sort of fellows the mass of those Blanquists are, 
and his delusions as to the work to be got out of such materials must 
have received a severe shock. 

Hyndman’s campaign with regard to the discredit to be thrown on 
the Marxist credentials*” seems to have utterly broken down. Burns’ 
disclosures’ were a ready blow, and our further revelations, especially 
about the Austrian Possibilist credentials,° did the rest. These people 
never know what a glass-house they are living in themselves. And as in 
France the Possibilists seem to have kept quiet with regard to that point 
(these fellows are far cleverer than Hyndman and Co—in their small 
way) there will be no further necessity to follow up the victory unless 
fresh attempts are made. The whole trick was calculated for the British 
market, and there it has failed—cela suffit.1 Then there is the resolution 
about the 1st of May demonstration. That is the best thing our Congress 
did. That will tell immensely here in England, and the Hyndman lot dare 
not oppose it; if they do, they ruin themselves; if they don’t, they must 
follow in our wake; let them choose. 

Another great fact is the Dock Labourers strike.*8? They are as you 
know the most miserable of all the muisérables of the East End, the 
broken down ones of all trades, the lowest stratum above the 
Lumpenproletariat. That these poor famished broken-down creatures 
who bodily fight amongst each other every morning for admission to 
work, should organise for resistance, turn out 40-50,000 strong, draw 
after them into the strike all and every trade of the East End in any way 
connected with shipping, hold out above a week, and terrify the wealthy 
and powerful Dock Companies—that is a revival I am proud erlebt zu 
haben. And they have even bourgeois opinion on their side: the 
merchants, who suffer severely from this interruption of traffic, do not 

4 fanatics ~ > J. Burns, “The Paris International Congress’, The Labour Elector, 3 
August 1889 — © F. Engels, ‘Possibilist Credentials’ — 4 that’s enough — ¢ to have 
lived to see 

blame the workmen, but the obstinate Dock Companies. So that if they 
hold out another week they are almost sure of victory. 

And all this strike is worked and led by our people, by Burns and 
Mann, and the Hyndmanites are nowhere in it. 

My dear Laura, I am almost sure you are in want of some cash and I 
should have sent a cheque with this if I was not myself hard up. My 
balance at the bank is at the lowest ebb; a dividend of some £33, due 
generally about 18th August, has not yet been paid and Edward has 
borrowed £15 till end of month, as he was quite fast. So I have hardly 
room to turn round in, but as soon as I receive a supply I shall remit; at 
latest next Monday, I hope before. 

Domela* becomes quite incomprehensible. Is he perhaps after all not 
Jesus Christ, but Jan van Leiden? a prophéte de Meyerbeer? Vegetarianism 
and solitary confinement seem apt to produce queer results in the long run. 

Edward and Tussy will be going to Dundee to report Trades Union 
Congress and then we shall get the boys? here in the meantime. 

Ever yours 
F. Engels