New York, Dec 8, '71

Karl Marx—

Dear Citizen of the World— very much loved & respected by all true Internationals throughout the world—& very much feared by his adversaries—pardon for the first time this intrusion upon your privacy, & pardon equally the plainness of my speech.—

It has become a real necessity & is therefore quite excusable.

I write on behalf of Section 12 of the International Workingmen's Association of the U. S.

Trouble has arisen in the Central Committee of this country between sections 12 & 1. concerning an Appeal of Section 12 to the Citizens of the U. S. friendly to the formation of English speaking sections. That Appeal was issued in conformity to the article 7 of the Rules 1867, according to the sections the right of initiating new measures, & making it the duty of the General Council to encourage the sections in so doing. Section 1 took exceptions to Section 12's presentation of the Plattform of the I.W.A. & objected that it embraced Political Equality & Social Freedom for both sexes & such political action as it might be necessary to take to recover possession of the land & means of transportation & exchange from the monopolisers. The work of the I. W. A. Section I said was not political, but social as affecting merely the subsisting relations of Capitalists & Laborers. It didn’t embrace women’s enfranchisement, & such like measures, & it didn’t include in its organization the cooperation of every body friendly to its principles. Sec 1 therefore protested against the appeal of Sec 12 & asked the C. C. for a vote of censure or a disavowal of the action of Section 12. The C. C. refused it, & well, you will have learned by this time that the C. C. adjourned sine die, without making provision for its succession in spite of the earnest remonstrances of section 12, which offered the only practicable means of prolonging its existence, but at length only consented to the adjourment for the sake of taking an appeal to the sections; & you will learn before this reaches you that efforts are being made to reorganize the C. C. which will result probably in the formation of Two Committees, & that an appeal must be taken to the G. C. to decide between them.

Now, the Revised rules have just reached us, from which we find that Article 7 of the Rules of '67 has been stricken. But we find also upon reading the Proceedings of the Private Conference of the I.W.A., held in September that Section 12 did not err in the statements of its now famous “appeal” that its Platform & that of the Conference are identical. We hope, therefore, that if an appeal be taken to the G. C. to adjust the differences between rival Committees applying for recognition by the G. C. at London, that the Committee will not be recognized which excludes Section 12 from recognition because it took the Initiative when it was the law or the only law we knew that the G. C. had authorized to be published & which proposes also to exclude sections two thirds of whose members are not wages slaves; especially since section 12 proves to have been right in its construction of the Platform of the I.W.A. & Section 1 wrong.

The troubles in our old C. C. have been aggravated, it is true, by national quarrels between French & German Sections, but these troubles would not have yet produced disruption in the sections but for the determination of Section One to disfranchise section Twelve.—

This you must not allow to be done, for if it be it will arrest the formation of English speaking sections, & you must be aware that the I.W.A. cannot become a power in the US. without the Cooperating of the English speaking people. Do, I beseech you, give these considerations the attention they deserve, & try to influence the G. C. in favour of a thorough reunion without disfranchising any section. In the Resolution passed by the G. C. in relation to what was considered an application of Section 12, it is stated among other things, that each section has the right of representation, & that there is nothing to prevent any Section from attending the Association amongst their own Nationalities.—

If this be so, Section 12 has been guilty of no offense, & ought not to be punished. As to its future action, it will faithfully conform to its Rules as revised, & I can promise that it will be zealous in well doing.

By a letter from Citizen Eccarius received two or three days since, I learn that Woodhull & Claflins Weekly which contained contributions of yourself & daughter was not received by you; that he loaned you a copy; & he suggests that the paper in future should be sent to your private address which he communicated to me. I will therefore forward with this a dozen copies of the papers in question to that address, & also, other copies of papers with articles marked to which I wish to draw your attention.—

Accept the assurance of my profund esteem & sincere love.

Fraternal greetingWilliam WestCorresponing Secretary of Section 12U.S. of America

P. S. Should you think proper to acknowledge the receipt of this please address to the care of Woodhull & Claflin No 44 Broad St. N.Y. City U.S.