The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-16
Introduction to Enpels' "The PrIn-
cples Of Communism" No.
of the Little Rad Ihrarv

ciples OF Communism" No.
of the Little Red Library.
Ed. Note.-This booklet Of the Little
Red Library can be had from the
DAILY WORKER Publishing Co.
lib Washington Blvd, Chicago, Ill,
at 10 cents a copy-12 copies for s1.O0.
The years Immediately preceding
the revolutionary period of 184S were
years Of indescribable political mis-
cry in Germany. Its several dozens
of miniature monarchs were just that
many bulwarks of reaction, so much
80, that even thinking of a political
change was regarded as major crime
and prosecuted as such. 1t Is true
there existed a budding capitalist
class which dreamt of a unified nation
and that possessedf aspirations to-
ward acquiring the political rule over
this nation. But the behavior Of the
German bourgeoisie towards its here
ditary parasitical princelings has ever
been characterized by eowardice. and
this cowardice enhanced by fear of
the independent revolutionary ambi-
tious Of the newly developing prole-
tariat, resulted in the bourgeoisie
never permitting its dreams to be-
come inspirations to action. And
even when in an unguarded moment
they were drawn into the turmoil OF
the revolutionary struggles in the
days of March, 184S, the bourgeois
quickly became frightened by their
own courage and repaid in decades Of
slavish servility for the moments of
characterization. rr
In this sitting atmosphere Of pre-
revolutionary Germany it was impos-
sible for men with spirit and intelli-
gence to live. For the privilege of
thinking, speaking or writing, the best
men of the nation paid the price of
exile in this period. One need only
mention the names OF Karl Marx and
Heinrich Heine as examples.
During this epoch when the old
semi-feudal order in Germany was
pregnant with the new, capitalist or
der, revolutionary thinking was not
confined solely to the proletarian ele-
ments. The revolutionary circles Of
German refugees in the large cities Of
Europe, in Brussels, Paris, London,
were therefore by no means hetero-
genous groups. Alongside OF the pro
letarian elements, the revolutionary
bourgeois intellectuals were quite nu-
merous. Among the proletarian ele-
ments it was the most intelligent and
most advanced itinerary journeymen
| ENTHUSIASTICALLY that domin-
ated. This class, not yet fully prole-
tarianized, had developed its own ide-
ology which found its clearest ex-
preston in the theories of one Of
their number. Wilhelm Weitling,
| journeyman tailor. e
These groups of elnigrant revolu-
tionists developed the1queerest ideas
and programs for their circle. The
socialist ideas Of the ingenious jour
neyman tailor, Weitling, the teachings
and preachings of the revolutionary
bourgeois intellectuals, in their midst,
the influence Of the labor movement
in the countries in which they lived,
like that of the Chartist movement in
England and of the sProudhonists or
the Blanquists in FFance-all these
together resulted in a theoretical mess
extremely conducive to fruitless
squabbles that were barren of all
practical results and revolutionary ac-
tivity.
Such were the conditions that pre-
vailed in the circles of revolutionary
proletarian emigrants from Germany
in Brussels, in Paris and in London in
1S47. Repeated attempts were made
to unite these groups organizationally
these efforts eliminating finally in the
organization of the League of Com
munists," in 1876. In converting these
clubs of philosophizing, debating and
quarrelling emigrants into active revo-
lutionary organizations with proleta-
rian predominance, Marx and Engels
were tirelessly active. Marx later
wrote about these activities as fol
lows:
we published simultaneously a
number of partly printed and partly
autographed pamphlets, in which we
subjected the mixture of French-Eng-
lish socialism, Communism and Ger
man philosophy which at that time
represented the secret principles of
the league to a merciless criticism;
in place of this we tried to spread
scientific understanding of the eco
nomic structure of bourgeois society !
as the only firm theoretical basis, and
finally we explained in a popular man
ner that the questionris not the estab.
lishment Of some Utopian system, but
the conscious participation in the his
toric process of change Of society that
takes place before our very eyes"
This positive criticism found
ready echo in the league. In Janu-
ary 1S47, its centralg bureau, in Lon
don, dispatched some representatives
to Brussels In invita- Mary and Enoa1e |