Letters of Jenny Marx

Jenny Marx to Frederick Engels
In Manchester


Source: Marx Engels Collected Works Vol 38, pg 560;
Publisher: International Publishers (1975);
First Published: MEGA Abt III, Bd I, 1929;
Translated: Peter and Betty Ross;
Transcribed: S. Ryan;
HTML Markup: S. Ryan.


London, 19 December [1850]

Dear Mr Engels,

On Karl's request I send you herewith six copies of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Harney, who is a little better, wishes you to send one to Helen Macfarlane. Just imagine, that rascal Schuberth will only let Eisen have the 300 copies if he is paid in cash and Naut, the jackass, is now quite beside himself. Hence Karl has masses of letters to write, and you know what that means where he is concerned. The Cologne anathema against Willich and Co. arrived yesterday, together with new Rules, circulars, etc. This time the Cologne people were exceptionally active and energetic and adopted a firm stand vis-a-vis the rotten band. Just imagine, it wasn't enough for Willich to have put his foot in it once, with the Fanon-Caperon manifesto—the leviathans must needs issue another epistle, while Willich has gone so far as to send red Becker 3 decrees for forwarding to the Cologne Landwehr in which he gives them orders from here to mutiny, to nominate a provisional government in every company and to overthrow all civil and military authorities and have them shot if need be. And the Cologne Landwehr, at that, who are now quite happily talking pot politics in the city of their fathers on the Rhine's cool strand. If Willich is not ripe for the lunatic asylum, then I don't know who is. Schapper has obtained a passport from Hamburg, to enable him to take over in person Haude's occupation of emissary. Good luck to the hippopotamus!

We have also heard from Dronke. Mrs Moses has again persuaded her husband that he is 'poss' of the 'gommunists'. But you'll soon be here and can hear and see for yourself everything that's been going on. The Caperonians set upon and beat up red Wolff one night, and our friend had Wengler taken into custody. The next morning, when he had been sentenced, Willich ransomed him for 20 shillings.

We are all looking forward to seeing you here soon.

Yours
Jenny Marx

[On the back of the letter]

Frederic Engels, Esquire
70 Great Ducie Street, Manchester