Marx-Engels Correspondence 1852
Source: MECW Volume 39, p. 90;
First published: in full in MEGA, 1929.
D. M.,
Herewith another letter from Weydemeyer. I have not received the newspapers; but the Atlantic was reported by telegraph this morning, and they will probably arrive tomorrow morning. Weydemeyer appears to have misunderstood one or two practical hints I gave him on how to pack and dispatch his things in such a way as not to pay unnecessarily high postal charges; however, I have already pointed out his mistake.
So the Coblenz story about the piccolo [Ernst Dronke] was a pure fabrication and, if the Kölner Zeitung is to be believed, Father Dronke must already be in London, his adventures have achieved a purpose. Tant mieux pour lui. But this makes the business of Moses’ warrant even more inexplicable. Anyhow, it would seem to imply further vexations for the Cologne people. God knows what sort of scrawl the police have picked up this time. Pauvre Moses, fancy becoming so egregiously and post festum a martyr in partibus infidelium!
Next week I shall write several articles in succession for Dana, and make sure that I take the thing up to the end of the Imperial Constitutional campaign. In order that we may be able to conclude directly, it would be a good idea if you could provide me with a short memorandum for the final articles — the revolutionary prospects of Germany, and our party’s situation during and after the revolution. It is precisely these concluding pieces which are important, and moreover a memorandum of this kind would enable me to write these articles not only better but far more quickly. In this way I could, if I tried hard enough, finish all the 5-6 outstanding articles within a fortnight and meanwhile you could get in touch with Dana about a new series on a subject of greater actualité, soit la France, soit l'Angleterre. Since Weydemeyer’s pamphlet will probably be coming out soon, it will no longer be possible to sell Dana the 18th Brumaire, even in a different guise; for he will then be able to have it for nothing and translate it himself. But you could still ask Dana whether he would like to have a modified version in translation, one suitable for the Anglo-American public. In this case the events leading up to 2 December ’51 would for the most part be excised and the thing finally brought right up to date, so that successive weekly or fortnightly reports on France would follow straight on.
Your
F. E.