May 24. 71.My dear Nickey,

According to the Bordeaux papers the tricolore is flying on the buttes Montmartre—the wild beasts of Cathelineau & Charette, the hired cut-throats of Pietri are masters of Paris. Outside the city the bold Prussian warriors are acting as the police-agents of Thiers—are capturing the Parisians that attempt to escape. All hope is dead. It is also rumoured that Dombrowski has fallen into the hands of the Prussian policemen! Do you not think that the sudden success of the Versaillists is the work of foul play. Cluseret & Rossel first disorganized & then betrayed the national guards. If the members of the Commune had heeded your warning against the american adventurer, all might have gone well. It is fearful to tink that there was so much chance of success & that it has been thrown away. When the butchers will have done their bloody work in Paris, it is very likely that they will wage war against the International leaders in the Provinces. Every provincial paper denounces the assoc. in one way or the other. The miserable dwarf Louis Blanc has also raised his piping voice against the Internationals. In answer to a deputation from Toulouse he gave to understand that among the agents of the Inter. who form the comité central, “les influences bonapartistes et prussiennes se font sentir. Enfin, dit il, l’insurrection parisienne est tout-a-fait condamnable et doit être condamnés par tout véritable republicain. Le comité central préoccupé d’interêts cosmopolites se souvient fort peu des interêts parisiens et français”.

Yesterday Paul procured himself a Spanish passport, so that we may be enabled to decamp as soon as possible. As Paul is a very active organizer of the I. he is by no means safe here. He has formed a new section with the “verriers”, some of whom are very intelligent & devoted men. Last Monday we went to their factory. We felt as if we had been transported into Dante’s Inferno on entering the building. The heat was unbearable. Like tortured spirits ran about, without a moment’s peace, a crowd of emaciated deathly pale men & boys. The work is almost all night work & yet children of 7. 8. 9 years of age employed. The poor little fellows are the first in the factory & the last to leave it. Their master has found out a capital way to exploit them. They are paid by the day & the men by the piece, so that it is in the interest of the men to make the children work as hard as possible.– Paul picked up many interesting facts, & is going to write an article on the subject. I fear however that in his capacity of gens de lettre, he will cut up the facts in order to thicken his own sauce (on them). Unfortunately, he is too fond of literary gravy.—

I have just received mama’s letter. My best thanks for it. I was very happy to have news from home, & particularly glad to hear that you, my dear Mohr, have made up your mind to go to Brighton so soon as the address is printed. By the bye, is the address to be translated by Paul or Tallandier?

I was much amused to have a detailed description of the teacher of the précieuse amie. So Lavroff is a comtist? Woe be to him & to his friends! These comtists are sad dogs. Prudhomme is a striking example of the deadly influence of Comte. Laura was perfectly right when she said that he is abruti. It is almost impossible to recognize the Prudhomme of four years ago. At present the high priest of the comtists, Laffitte, is at Bordeaux. I have read his pamphlet on Comte—as a political economist. The whole theory seems to me to / come to this—la classe capitaliste n’a pas le droit mais le devoir d’exploiter les proletaires. --- As to the famous altruisme it is only another version of the chacun pour soi principle. Seulement, au lieu de dire—chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous, ils dirent chacun pour soi, l’Humanité pour tous! /

/ With many kisses to all at home.Believe me, my own dear Nickey,your affectionateJenny.

I have read Engels’ article on Vogt. It is most witty. Remember us all to the GeneralSpitzname für Engels. Zur Entstehung von Engels' Spitznamen siehe Jenny Marx (Tochter) an Familie Kugelmann. Samstag, 19. November 1870 („Engels—or as we have now dubbed him "General Staff" ...“).. Please address letters to WilliamsPseudonym von Jenny Marx (Tochter). and not Marx. /