As to the main issue, however, it was my duty to publish the thing the moment the programme came up for discussion. I deleted or altered everything that you and Dietz took exception to and, even if Dietz had made more deletions, I should still have been coulant wherever possible at no time have I failed to give the two of you proof of this. As to details, one can of course always hold differing views about such things. Accordingly I consider the main responsibility to be mine. 21 of the Neue Zeit, responsibility for its publication is most courageous of you, but don’t forget that it was I, after all, who first instigated the thing and, in addition, presented you, as it were, with Hobson’s choice. In the meantime this has been left to the Saxon and the Vienna Arbeiter-Zeitung and the Züricher Post. And I knew that the party was amply strong enough to stand it and I reckoned that today it would even tolerate the forthright language used 15 years ago, that it would point with justifiable pride to this test of its strength and say: Show us another party that would dare do the same. That it was bound at first to give grave offence in certain quarters I was aware, but it couldn’t be helped and in my view this consideration was more than outweighed by its factual content. And I frankly admit that this was what I had in mind when I published the document. This much is apparent from the opposition newspapers I have been getting from you (very many thanks) and elsewhere. Malicious insinuations are, of course, made about anything and everything, but by and large the impression gained by our opponents was nevertheless one of utter stupefaction at this ruthless self-criticism, stupefaction combined with the feeling that a party must be possessed of great inner strength if it could treat itself to that sort of thing. The fear that it would place a weapon in the hands of our opponents was unfounded. So let us now return to the matter in hand, namely Marx’s letter. You will have got my hasty congratulations of the day before yesterday. Marx-Engels Correspondence 1891 Engels To Kautskyįirst published: in Russian, in Bolshevik, Moscow, 1931.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |