64 Dean Street, Soho Square, May 30th, 1850
Sir,
We learn from the public papers, that the Neue Preussische Zeitung has, of late, published a series of revelations concerning that part of the German and particularly the Prussian emigration which, at the present moment, resides in London; that the above-named paper has spoken of certain relations existing between London and Berlin, and that it has brought the name of one of the undersigned in connexion with this subject.
The Society of which we are members3 does not take in the Neue Preussische Zeitung. We therefore take the liberty of addressing ourselves to you, and we expect from your loyalty, that you, Sir, the official representative in this country, of our nationality, will have the
courtoisie to furnish us with the numbers in question of the Neue Preussische Zeitung.
We have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servants
Charles Marx August Willich
Frederick Engels
Endnotes
[269] This letter was written in connection with the campaign against German political refugees started by the Prussian conservative papers and taken up by the English press. The campaign was intensified particularly after the attempt on the life of the Prussian King Frederick William IV in Berlin on May 22, 1850, by Max Sefeloge, a retired soldier. He later died in a lunatic asylum. An item in the Neue Preussische Zeitung on May 25, 1850, alleged that while this attempt was being prepared Marx made a trip to Germany, including Berlin. The letter is written in English in Engels' handwriting. He addressed the envelope to his Excellency Chevalier Bunsen, Prussian Ambassador in London. Bunsen disregarded the request contained in the letter, so Marx and Engels made a statement to the press (see this volume, p. 384).