London, 13 January 1890 

Dear Friend, 

I have been deliberating the matter of the letter of introduction for 
Buenos Aires.* I cannot conceal what has happened from the comrades 
out there. In so far as I enjoy the workers’ trust, this rests upon the 
assumption that what I tell them is the whole truth and nothing but the 
truth, no matter what the circumstances. 

If I were you, I would prefer not to have any such letter of recom- 
mendation. The moment one person out there gets wind of your convic- 
tion, a hundred others will get wind of it too, and notably those who 
would neither read nor give a rap for my testimonial. And then you 
would be no better off there than you were at home; your conviction 
would pursue you everywhere. Better a new life under a new name. You 
are young and, to judge by your photograph, strong—just take courage! 

But in order to take care of all eventualities, I enclose a document in 
which I say in your favour whatever can and may be said with a clear 
conscience. However, I would again advise you not to make use of it. 
This may render the struggle more arduous in the early days. But in the 
long run a complete break with the past cannot but make it easier. 

Well, you must be the best judge of what you ought to do. But I hope 
that none of this will be necessary and that the Court of Appeal will 
pronounce you innocent. 

Very sincerely yours, 
F. Engels 

Addresses 

Vorwarts, Editorial Department; Calle Reconquista 650 
nuevo (the streets have o/d and new numbers) Verein 
Vorwarts,°8? Calle Commercio 880. 

4 See this volume, p.351 

Mr Pasquale Martignetti of Benevento (Italy) has corresponded with 
me regularly for some six years past. Under the most difficult circum- 
stances and with great perseverance he has learned German so as to make 
German scientific socialism available to his compatriots in translation. 
He then proceeded to translate, first my Entwicklung des Sozialismus 
von der Utopia zur Wissenschaft* and later my Ursprung der Familie,» 
etc., into Italian and to publish the translations after they had been 
looked over by me. Unfavourable circumstances*” prevented the publi- 
cation of his translation of Marx’s Kapital und Lohnarbeit.© 

Mr Martignetti was employed as clerk in the Royal Notary’s Office— 
a legal agency—in Benevento. There he was accused of embezzlement 
and this, or so it seems to me, simply by way of retaliation for his activ- 
ities as a socialist writer; and Mr Martignetti was eventually sentenced to 
imprisonment by the Italian stipendiary magistrates of two courts. I 
have read neither the documents of the case nor the reports of the 
proceedings, but only the accused man’s defence. However, I believe that 
he was wrongly convicted, and this for the following reasons: 

1. Because he was accused only as an accomplice of the chief defen- 
dant; the said chief defendant, however, was acquitted whereas Mr 
Martignetti, who was allegedly only his abettor, was convicted. 

2. Because the sums alleged to have been embezzled were first stated 
to be over 10,000 francs but dwindled as the trial went on until finally 
only 500 fr. were said to have been embezzled. 

3. Because the Prefect of Benevento, a highly placed civil servant, was 
so convinced of his innocence that he employed him in his office after 
his dismissal from the Notary’s Office and even while the trial was in 
progress. 

4. Again, because he was simply a clerk, no court funds passed 
through his hands, so that he could not very well have embezzled any. 

Whatever the outcome of his trial may be, Mr Martignetti will prob- 
ably choose to leave Italy and seek out a new home for himself. If such 
be the case, I hereby authorise him to make use of this, my testimonial, 
in any way he thinks fit. Should he anywhere encounter German 
comrades to whom my opinion is not a matter of complete indifference, 
I would ask them to rest assured that the above is strictly in accordance 

* Socialism: Utopian and Scientific —» Origin of the Family —-° Wage Labour and 
Capital. In the draft the ensuing sentence reads: ‘By engaging in these activities, 
Mr Martignetti has done signal service to the labour movement, notably i in 
furthering mutual understanding between Italian and German socialists.’ 

with the truth and that I have withheld nothing whatsoever. Should they 
be able to help him find a post in which he could earn an honest living 
and upon which he could found a new existence, they would be doing a 
kindness to a man who, in my opinion, has been prosecuted only 
because of his activities on behalf of the international labour movement. 
122, Regent’s Park Road, London, N. W. 
13 January 1890 

Friedrich Engels