Engels in Neue Rheinische Zeitung February 1849

The Vienna Correspondent of the K�lnische Zeitung


Source: MECW Volume 8, p. 394;
Written: by Engels on February 17, 1849;
First published: in Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 225, February 18, 1849.


Cologne, February 17. One riddle less in world history! Herr Schwanbeck, editor of the K�lnische Zeitung who writes under the sign D, and at the same time writes reports for that paper from Vienna under the sign D+D+ has, as is well known, continued as long as possible under both trade marks to slander the Magyars, accusing them of cowardice and villainy, and has not merely defeated but repeatedly annihilated them, and acclaimed in dithyrambs the entry of the combined army with its courts martial into the various towns and comitats of Hungary.

Herr Schwanbeck himself now solves the riddle; like Achilles, only our Schwanbeck himself can heal the wounds he has caused.

And what is the solution of the riddle? — It is fear of Welden. Hence the vilification of the Viennese and Magyars, the miserable lies about the military successes of the Austrians, the crawling and ogling in relation to the Croats and Pandours.[333]

For, says the famous Schwanbeck, for, he says:

“Up to now, in fact, anyone who dared to doubt the victorious advance of the imperial army at all points of the monarchy was formally belied by Governor Baron Welden and awarded the honorary title of malicious scoundrel” (K�lnische Zeitung No. 40).

Out of respect for Welden, readers of the K�lnische Zeitung have for two months had to be lied to and deceived by the Vienna reports about the war in Hungary under the sign of D+D+.

Goethe said of Pustkuchen:

“If even whales have lice, then I must have mine too.”

Kossuth can say the same of Schwanbeck.