Written by Frederick Engels about June 20, 1871, for the General Council of the International Working Men’s Association; printed, with some differences, in The Daily News, June 23, 1871, and The Eastern Post, No. 143, June 24, 1871, signed by John Hales and dated June 21. Attributed to Engels by MEGA² (I/22). Text of the manuscript, from The General Council of the First International. Minutes, vol. IV (1870-1871), Moscow, Progress Publishers, n.d. [1963-68], pp. 421-422, which prints the manuscript. Traducción al español
To the Editor of the Daily News
Sir,
I am instructed by the General Council of the International Working Men’s Association to state, in reply to Mr. Geo Jacob Holyoake’s letter in Tuesday’s Daily News.
As to the insinuation that the address issued by the Council “may become a cause of death or deportation at Versailles”, the Council thinks that its Paris friends are better judges than Mr. Holyoake.
It is a rule with the Council that the names of all its members whether absent or present are appended to its public documents. On this occasion, however, an exception was made, and the consent of absent members was formally requested.
As to the statement that this address “cannot be an English production, though manifestly revised by some Saxon or Celtic pen”, the Council begs to observe that, as a matter of course, the productions of an international society cannot have any national character. However, the Council need not have any secrets in this matter. The address, like many previous publications of the Council, was drawn up by the Corresponding Secretary for Germany, Dr. Karl Marx, was adopted unanimously and “revised” by nobody.
On the ... 1870, Mr. George Jacob Holyoake presented himself as a candidate for membership of the Council but was not admitted.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Secretary to General Council, I.W.M.A.