Written by Karl Marx about June 20, 1871, on behalf of the General Council of the International Working Men’s Association, in reply to the Times leader of June 19. Attributed to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels by MEGA² (I/22); to Karl Marx by MEW (vol. 17). Text from The General Council of the First International, 1870-1871. Minutes, Moscow, Progress Publishers, n.d. [1963-68], pp. 419-420, which prints the manuscript. Traducción al español.

To the Times

The General Council of this Association has instructed me to state in reply to your leader of June 19, 1871, on the “International” the following facts:

The pretended Paris manifestoes, published by the Paris-Journal and similar journals—manifestoes which are mere fabrications of the Versailles police—you place on the same line as our “Address on the Civil War in France”.

You say:

“The ‘political notes’ published by Professor Beesly, and quoted the other day in these columns, are quoted also, with entire approval, in the Address of the Council, and we can now understand how justly the Ex-Emperor was entitled to be called the saviour of society.”

Now, the Council, in its Address, quotes nothing from the “political notes” except the testimony of the writer, who is a known and honourable French savant, as to the personal character of the “Internationals” implicated in the last Paris revolution. What has this to do with the “Ex-Emperor” and the Society saved by him? The “programme” of the Association was not, as you say, “prepared” by Messrs. Tolain and Odger “seven years ago”. It was issued by the Provisional Council, chosen at the public meeting held at St. Martin’s Hall, Long Acre, on 28 September 1864. M. Tolain has never been a member of that Council, nor was he present at London, when the programme was drawn up.

You say that “Millière” was “one of the most ferocious members of the Commune”. Millière has never been a member of the Commune.

“We,” you proceed, “should also point out that Assi, lately President of the Association, etc.”

Assi has never been a member of the “International”, and as to the dignity of “President of the Association”, it has been abolished long ago, 1867.