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Title: Engels an Marx, Manchester, 28. Januar 1852
Description: Engels schickt den Entwurf eines Briefes an die Times über die Behandlung der Kölner Kommunisten durch die preußische Justiz.
Author: Friedrich Engels
Date: 1852-01-28
URL: https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/cartas/originales/1852-01-28%20Engels%20an%20Marx
---


*Brief von Friedrich Engels an Karl Marx in London, Manchester, 28. Januar 1852, mit dem Entwurf eines Briefes an die „Times“ (Unterschrift von Marx). Text nach MEGA¹ III/1, Berlin 1929, Nr. 146, S. 312-314, ohne den Apparat der Herausgeber. [Traducción al español](https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/cartas/1852-01-28%20Engels%20a%20Marx).*

Lieber Marx,

Inliegend das Ding für die Times. Du schreibst dabei ganz einfach: Sir, I believe the publication of the scandalous facts contained in the annexed letter will contribute to throw some lights upon the state of things on the Continent. — The correctness of these facts I guarantee, usw. Namen und Adresse.

Meins an die Daily News geht heut abend mit der zweiten Post ab; besorgst Du die Sache also gleich, so kommen beide Briefe fast gleichzeitig in den respektiven Offices an und können in der Freitagsnummer stehn. Gib aber den Brief in *Charing Cross* auf; bei den Nebenoffices ist zu viel Verzug.

Die beiden Briefe von Cluß und B[erm]bach inliegend zurück. An Deinem Brief vom Samstag wieder das Siegel in miserablem Zustand; es erfolgt inliegend. Wie verhält es sich damit?

Ich unterzeichne in den D[aily] N[ews] einfach: A German Merchant.

Schreib bald.

Dein F. E.

Manchester, 28. Januar 1852.

*[Auf der Rückseite:]*

To the Editor of the „Times“.

Sir,

The destruction of the last remnants of an independent press on the Continent has made it the honourable duty of the English press to record every act of illegality and oppression in that quarter of Europe. Allow me, therefore, trough your columns, to lay before the public a fact, which shows that the judges in Prussia are quite on a level with the political menials of Louis Napoleon.

You know what a valuable *moyen de gouvernement* a well got-up conspiracy may turn out, if brought forward at the proper moment. The Prussian government, in order to render their parliament pliable, wanted such a plot in the beginning of last year. Accordingly, numbers of persons were arrested, and the police was set to work all over Germany. But nothing was made out, and after all, but a few individuals were ultimately retained in prison at Cologne, under the pretext of being the chiefs of a widespread revolutionary organization. The principal of them are Dr. Becker and Dr. Bürgers, two gentlemen connected with the press, Dr. Daniels, Dr. Jacobi and Dr. Klein, medical practitioners two of whom had honorably filled the arduous duties of a physician to the administration of the poor, and M. Otto, director of extensive chemical works, and well known in his country by his attainments in chemical science. There being, however, no evidence against them, their release was expected every day. But while they were in prison, the „Disciplinary Law“ was promulgated, enabling the government, by a very short and easy proceeding, to rid themselves of any abnoxious judicial functionary. The effect of this enactment upon the hitherto slow and languishing proceedings against the above-named gentlemen was almost instantaneous. Not only were they placed *au secret*, denied every communication with each other or their friends, even by letter, and deprived of books and writing materials, (allowed, in Prussia, to the meanest filou before conviction); but the judicial proceedings took a quite different turn. The *Chambre du Conseil* (you know we are judged, in Cologne, by the Code Napoleon) was at once found ready to make out a case against them, and the matter went before the senate of accusation, a body of judges fulfilling the functions of an English Grand Jury. It is to the unparallelled judgment of this body that I beg particularly to draw your attention. In this judgment there occurs, literally translated, the following extraordinary passage:

„Considering, that no reliable evidence has been brought forward, that therefore, no case having been made out, *there exists no reason for maintaining the indictment*“ — (the prisoners are ordered to be set at liberty, you suppose, is the necessary conclusion? Not it indeed) — „the whole of the minutes and documents is to be returned to the *juge d’instruction* for a fresh investigation“.

This means, then, that after a detention of ten months, during which time neither the activity of the police nor the acumen of the counsel for the Crown have been able to make out the shadow of a case — the whole proceeding is to begin again from the beginning, in order, perhaps, after another years investigation, to be handed over a third time to the juge d’instruction!

The explanation of such a glaring tread of the law is this: the government are just now preparing the organization of a High Court of Justice to be made up of the most subservient materials. As a defeat before a jury would be certain, the government must delay the final trial of this affair until it may go before this new Court, which of course, will give every guarantee to the crown and none to the prisoners.

Would it not be far more honourable for the Prussian government to pass sentence at once, by Royal Decree, upon the prisoners, in the way M. Louis Bonaparte has done?

I am, Sir, your most obedient servant.

A Prussian.

London, 29. January 1852.