That Marx and Engels will vehemently criticize my principles is now certain.Whether or not I will be able to defend myself as I would like to do, I don't know.Without money Marx cannot criticize and I cannot defend myself; nevertheless, in an emergency it may not matter that Ihave no money.I believe Marx and Engels will end by criticizing themselves through their own criticism.In Marx's brain, I see nothing more than a good encyclopaedia, but no genius.His influence is felt through other personalities.Rich men made him editor, voila tout.
Indeed, rich men who make sacrifices have a right to see or have investigations made into what they want to support.They have the power to assert this right, but the writer also has the power, no matter how poor he is, not to sacrifice his convictions for money.I am capable of sacrificing my conviction for the sake of unity.I put aside my work on my system when I received protests against it from all directions.But when I heard in brussels that the opponents of my system intended to publish splendid systems in well-financed translations, I completed mine and made an effort to bring it to the man [Marx].If this is not supported, then it is entirely in order to make an examination.Jackass that I was, I had hitherto believed that it would be better if we used all our own qualities against our _enemies_ and encouraged especially those that bring forth persecutions in the struggle.I had thought it would be better to influence the people and, above all, to organize a portion of them for the propagation of our popular writings.But Marx and Engels do not share this view, and in this they are strengthened by their rich supporters.All right! Very good! Splendid! I see it coming.
I have often found myself in similar circumstances, and always things turned out for the best....
Yours, WEITLING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marx's letter written to Pierre Joseph Proudhon (in Paris), asking him to join the Committees of Correspondence.
Brussels, May 5, 1846
Dear Proudhon:
Since I left Paris I have often thought of writing to you, but circumstances beyond my control have prevented me from doing it.Please believe me that overbusyness and vexations connected with moving to another house are the only reasons for my silence.
And now _in media res_.Together with two of my friends, Frederick Engels and Philippe Gigot (both of them in Brussels), I have organized a continuing Correspondence [Committee] with German communists and socialists not only for a discussion of scientific questions but also for a review of popular writings and socialist propaganda, as a means of using them in Germany.The main aim of our COrrespondence, however, will be to bring German socialists in contact with French and English socialists, to inform foreigners about socialist movements in Germany and Germans in Germany about the progress of socialism in France and England.In this way, differences of opinion can come to light, and one can attain an exchange of ideas and impartial criticism.This is a step the socialist movement has to take in its literary expression in order to get rid of nationalistic limitations.And at the moment of action it is certainly extremely useful for everyone to be informed about affairs abroad as much as about those in his own country.
In addition to the communists in Germany, our Correspondence will also include German socialists in Paris and London.Our contacts with the English are already established; as to France, we all believe that we could find there no better correspondent than yourself.You know that the English and the Germans have hitherto honored you more than your own countrymen.
Thus you see that what is involved here is the creation of a regular Correspondence and to secure for it the means of following the socialist movement in various countries, to attain rich and manifold results which no individual could achieve by his own work alone.
Should you accept our proposition, the postage of the letters you will receive, as well as those which you forward to us, will be paid here, since the money collections in Germany are designed to cover the cost of the Correspondence.
The local address you would use is: M.Philippe Gigot, 8 rue Bodenbrock.This is also the address for letters sent from Brussels.
I need not add that this whole Correspondence must be kept in strictest secret on your part, since we have to be careful not to compromise our friends in Germany.
Please reply soon, and accept the assurance of my sincere friendship.
Your devoted KARL MARX
[Proudhon responded May 17, 1846 -- he passed on the idea of joining the Correspondence Committee since he opposed revolutionary methods and communism.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Address of the central committee to the communist league Karl Marx and Frederick Engels ADDRESS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE TO THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE London March 1850 Brothers, In the two revolutionary years of 1848-49the League proved itself in two ways.First, its members everywhere involved themselves energetically in the movement and stood in the front ranks of the only decisively revolutionary class, the proletariat, in the press, on the barricades and on the battlefields.The League further proved itself in that its understanding of the movement, as expressed in the circulars issued by the Congresses and the Central Committee of 1847 and in the Manifesto of the Communist Party, has been shown to be the only correct one, and the expectations expressed in these documents have been completely fulfilled.
This previously only propagated by the League in secret, is now on everyone's lips and is preached openly in the market place.At the same time, however, the formerly strong organization of the League has been considerably weakened.
