Draft of a letter from Friedrich Engels to Henry William Lee, secretary of the Social Democratic Federation, in London, [London], 16 April 1894; the place, in square brackets, is supplied by us. Manuscript preserved at the IISG (Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, inv. K 972), 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; interlinear additions inserted where marked, with a note; [?] after an uncertain reading. Traducción al español

16 April 94

Dear C. – Both you & the [ilegible] [ilegible] party who suggested to you the idea of my lecturing for you, must have been aware that I have so far made it a strictly[?] kept[?] to1 never have been in the habit of lecturing anywhere. But apart from that, I find myself in a peculiar position with regard to you, that is, if I rightly understand, the S.D.F.2 your letter

You must cannot ignore that for a long series of years & up to a comparatively recent period3 „Justice“, the organ of the S.D.F., has constantly attacked me and brought all sorts of charges against me. While4 No attempt has ever been made to prove these charges, they5 but nor have never6 they been withdrawn nor the responsibility for them [ilegible] declined by the S.D.F.7 ✝8. In consequence I have been compelled to keep entirely aloof from the your9 S.D.F. & do not see how I can change my attitude to [ilegible] unless that difficulty is entirely removed.

Yours faithfully

✝ nor has the S.D.F. ever disclaimed any responsibility for what[?] Justice the contents of what10 „Justice“ wrote.

H. W. Lee
Secy Soc. Dem. Fed.11

  1. «have so far made it a strictly[?] kept[?] to» written above the line, over the deleted words. ↩

  2. Below the initials «S.D.F.» the letters «oc», «em», «ed» are written, completing «Soc Dem Fed»; «the S.D.F.» and «your letter» are enclosed together in a line. ↩

  3. «& up to a comparatively recent period» written above the line. ↩

  4. «While» written above «No», which is not deleted. ↩

  5. «charges, they» written above the line. ↩

  6. «never» written above the line. ↩

  7. Written above the line and deleted. ↩

  8. The cross refers to the addition written below the closing formula. ↩

  9. «your» written above the line. ↩

  10. «what» written above the line. ↩

  11. The addressee's name and office, written by Engels at the foot of the draft. ↩