Marx-Engels Correspondence 1871

Marx-Engels Correspondence 1871

Friedrich Engels to the Editorial Board of the Turin Newspaper Il Proletario Italiano, 29 November 1871 [1]

Citizens

Your issue No 39 contains a declaration of Turin workers which states:

We publicly declare that the decision of the London General Council to put socialism after politics was communicated to us by the Editorial Board of the Proletario as soon as it was issued and that such decision did not bear an official character because it was withdrawn by the General Council, since many European associations would have completely rejected it, just as we would have done.

This assertion compels the General Council to declare:

1) That it has never passed any decision putting socialism after politics.

2) That accordingly it could not have withdrawn such a decision.

3) That no European or American association could have rejected such a decision nor was any other decision of the General Council rejected.

The position of the General Council in regard to political action by the proletariat is sufficiently clearly defined.

It has been defined:

1) By the General Rules, which state, in point 4 of the Preamble, ‘that the economical emancipation of the working classes is... the great end to which every political movement ought to be subordinate as a means’. [2]

2) By the text of the Inaugural Address of the Association (1864), the official and obligatory commentary of the Rules, which says:

Yet, the lords of land and the lords of capital will always use their political privileges for the defence and perpetuation of their economical monopolies. So far from promoting, they will continue to lay every possible impediment in the way of the emancipation of labour... To conquer political power has therefore become the great duty of the working classes. [3]

3) By the resolution of the Lausanne Congress (1867) to the following effect: ‘The social emancipation of the workers is inseparable from their political emancipation.’

4) By resolution IX of the London Conference (September 1871), which, in accordance with the aforesaid, reminds the members of the International that in the struggle of the working class its economic movement and its political action are indissolubly united. [4]

The Council has always followed and will continue to follow the line thus prescribed to it.

Hence it declares the above-mentioned communication sent by some unknown person to the editorial board of the Proletario to be false and calumnious.

By order and in the name of the General Council

FE

Secretary for Italy

PS: I have just received the Geneva Révolution Sociale [5] which says that a small Jura group has rejected the London Conference decisions. [6] No official communication was made to the General Council. As soon as it receives one it will take the necessary measures.