| Sunday
Dear Mohr!
Yesterday I received your first note, and wrote at once to Berlin; just now Nr. II arrived and I shall without delay inform E.
The quiproquo happened while I was absent on my wedding trip. I had given orders to print your “address”; and Bebel, who could not find it, wrote to Becker for the “Programm” and received the unfortunate document, that brought us to despair in Nürnberg. When I discovered the mistake, it was too late to mend it, especially as we could not well disavow old Becker. Luckily, Pfeiffer & Co. were so confused by our vigorous onslaught, that they quite forgot to prove the stupidities of the pseudo-programm. Now, the | thing is explained, and our people know, that under the circumstances the error was excusable.
I think, there are a few dozen of Vogt’s in Berlin. I had to leave them there, when I was expelled; and most copies were distributed by me to political persons,—sold very few. In 5 or 6 days I hope to have news.
Of course, we have officially to communicate with you; not with Geneva. B. shall not be offended. But, we shall have some difficulties with the police, and most likely our Verein will be dissolved. However that will not prevent us, from going on. The next day we shall have a new | Verein, and an organisation, that cannot be reached by the police.
We are now at the head of the movement in Germany. The Allg. D. Arbeiterverein I have undermined; Schweitzer must be thrown over board, he is too slippery a fish, to be entrusted with a position at the head of a party.
Mende, Hatzfeldt’s “Schürzenstipendiat” got in my hands last week, and I gave him such a lesson, that he fainted and his attendants had to lead him out.
Send your “Aufruf” in time.
We are all well, and hope you are the same.
We send our love
YourMiller
Have you an objection to my printing your Brumaire Bonaparte as Feuilleton? Can’t you send me an article, if ever so short, but with | your name? I am sorry you were not in Nürnberg, you would have met with a reception, that would have made you forget, what you had to suffer during the last 10 years. –
Write regularly.
Zeugenbeschreibung und Überlieferung
Dieser Brief wird hier erstmals veröffentlicht.
Zeugenbeschreibung
Der Brief besteht aus einem Bogen mittelstarkem, weißem Papier im Format 296 × 140 mm. Die ersten drei Seiten hat Liebknecht vollständig, die vierte Seite zu einem Viertel beschrieben. Schreibmaterial: schwarze Tinte.
Von unbekannter Hand (vermutlich von David Borisovič Rjazanov): die Jahresangabe „1868“ auf der ersten Seite oben rechts mit Blaustift.
Anmerkungen zum Brief
Die Datierung ergibt sich aus dem Zusammenhang des Briefes mit dem Brief von Marx an Engels vom 19. September 1868 (Marx an Engels, 19.9.1868: „Ich habe aber gestern an Liebknecht geschrieben u. ihn um kategorische Auskunft über die ihm zugestellten (vielleicht 150) Exemplare ersucht.“). Marx hat demnach am Freitag, den 18. September, an Liebknecht geschrieben. Liebknecht beantwortet den Brief sofort am Sonntag (siehe „Sunday“), also am 20. September 1868.
Liebknecht beantwortet zwei nicht überlieferte Briefe von Marx (siehe „Yesterday I received your first note, and wrote at once to Berlin; just now Nr. II arrived and I shall without delay inform E.“), geschrieben am 18. September 1868 (Marx an W. Liebknecht, 18.9.1868) und vor dem 20. September 1868 (Marx an W. Liebknecht, vor 20.9.1868).
Marx legt den Brief Liebknechts seinem Schreiben an Engels vom 23. September 1868 bei (Marx an Engels, 23.9.1868: „Aus dem Einliegenden siehst Du, daß Liebknecht ...“)
Zitiervorschlag
Wilhelm Liebknecht an Karl Marx in London. Leipzig, Sonntag, 20. September 1868. In: Marx-Engels-Gesamtausgabe digital. Hg. von der Internationalen Marx-Engels-Stiftung. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin. URL: http://megadigital.bbaw.de/briefe/detail.xql?id=M0000749. Abgerufen am 19.04.2024.