Marx Engels Correspondence 1843
Written: Paris, 10 December 1843;
First Published: in Démocratie pacifique, December 11, 1843.
Translated: for the M.I.A. by Miles Forrest.
La Démocratie Pacifique.
Nr133, December 11, 1843
Issue 28 of Bien public contains the following lines:
“The Kölnische Zeitung published a letter from Leipzig in which it is said that a journal, in the French and German language, is due to be published shortly in Paris, under the direction of Dr. Ruge, to which Mr. de Lamartine and Mr. de Lamennais have reportedly pledged their correspondence.”
It is false that Mr. de Lamartine has committed to write for any journal, and particularly not for the one in question, with Mr. de Lamennais.
“Mr. de Lamartine, entirely absorbed in his parliamentary work, reserves for his Histoire des Girondins the bit of leisure that politics allows him.”
It is true that Mr. de Lamartine did not commit to write for the journal in question with Mr. de Lamennais, but we affirm that he has given us hope for his correspondence with the journal which we propose to found.
In addressing ourselves separately to these two celebrities, we have held that for a work such as that of an intellectual alliance between France and Germany, the support of all eminent representatives of progress in France must be sought.
We declare, moreover, that the Leipzig letter, published by the Kölnische Zeitung, which has lent itself to the article of Bien public, did not come from us, nor from any one of our friends.
Arnold Ruge, former editor of Deutsche Jahrbücher;
Karl Marx, former editor of the Rheinische Zeitung.
Paris, December 10, 1843.