Friedrich Engels to Philip Van Patten in New York, London, 18 April 1883; draft. Manuscript preserved at the IISG (Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, inv. K 1362), transcribed from the digital facsimile by the Escuela de marxismo, 2026 (double reading and collation with the image). Written in English. Diplomatic transcription: spelling, capitals and punctuation as in the manuscript; deletions as text where legible, otherwise [ilegible]; interlinear additions inserted where marked, with a note; [?] after an uncertain reading; [ilegible] for an illegible word. Traducción al español

London 18th April 1883.

Philip Van Patten 57, 2nd Avn. N. York

Esteemed Comrades

My statement in reply to your inquiry of the 2nd April as to Karl Marx' relation position with regard to the Anarchists in general & Johann Most in particular shall be short & clear.

While Marx & I, ever since 1845, have held the view that one of the final results of the future proletarian revolution will be the gradual dissolution & ultimate disappearance of that political organization called the State; an organization the main object of which1 has ever been the forcible subjection of the working majority to the to secure, by armed force, the economical subjection of the working majority to the wealthy minority With the disappearance of the [ilegible] a2 wealthy minority the necessity of for an armed, repressive State-force disappears also. But At the same time3 we have also always held, that But the anarchists begin at the other end. They say: in order to secure in order to arrive at this & the other, far more important ends of the social revolution of the future, the proletarian Class will first have to possess itself of the organized political power force of the State & with its aid crush out trample4 stamp out5 the resistance of the Capitalist Class & re-organize society. This is stated already in the Communist Now the anarchists reverse the Manifesto of 1847, end of Chapter II.

The Anarchists reverse the matter. They say, that the Proletarian revolution has to begin by [ilegible] abolishing the political organization of the State. But after the victory of the Proletariate, the only organization the victorious working class finds ready-made for use, is that of the State. It may require adaptation to the new functions. But to6 To destroy that at such a moment, would be to destroy the only organism by means of7 which the victorious working class8 it can exert its newly gained conquered9 power, keep down its Capitalist enemies & carry out that economical revolution of society without which the whole [ilegible] the whole victory s. be worthless & end in must end in d a10 defeat & in a massacre of the working class like that after the Paris Commune.

Does it need a word[?] require11 my express assertion, that Marx opposed these anarchist absurdities from the very beginning first day that they were started by in their present form by Bakounine? The whole internal12 history of the International Working Men's Assoc. is there to prove it. The Anarchists were tried to obtain the lead of the International, by the foulest means, ever since 1867 & the chief obstacle in their way was Marx. The result of the five years' struggle was the expulsion, at the Hague Congress, Sept. 1872, of the Anarchists from the International, and the man who was did13 most active to procure that[?] expulsion, was Marx. Our old friend F. A. Sorge of Hoboken, who was present as a Delegate, can give you further particulars if you desire.

To come[?] Now14 As to Johann Most, in particular, If any man asserts that Most, since the he turned anarchist, has had any relations with, or support from Marx, he is either a dupe or a deliberate liar. After the first No. of the London Freiheit had been published, Most did not call upon Marx or myself more than once, at most twice. Nor did we call on him or even meet him anywhere or15 accidentally at any time since his new-fangled anarchism had burst forth in that paper. Indeed, we at last ceased to take it in as there was absolutely „nothing in it." We that had for his anarchism & anarchist tactics16 the same contempt as for that of the people from whom had17 he learnt it.

While in prison or[?] still in Germany, Most published18 wrote a „popular" extract of Das Kapital. which I[?] Marx was requested to revise it for a second edition. I assisted Marx in that work. We found it impossible to eradicate more than the very worst mistakes, [ilegible] unless we re-wrote the whole thing from beginning to end, & Marx consented to send allow19 his corrections to be printed being inserted20 on the express condition only that his name was never in any way connected with even this revised form of Johann Most's production.

You are perfectly at liberty to publish this letter in the Voice of the People, if you like to do so.

Yours fraternally

F. E.

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