Karl Marx: A Biography

9

246 KARL MARX: A BIOGRAPHY

principles. We have now finished with the system of mutual concessions,

with half-truths admitted for reasons of propriety and with our duty of

sharing in the public ridicule in the party with all these asses.^85

Nevertheless, Marx became withdrawn and somewhat embittered, pouring

a scorn on his fellow refugees that knew no bounds. Willich in particular

became the object of his biting irony and descriptions like 'cowardly,

slandering, infamous, foul assassin'^84 were typical. At the same time Marx

could not help seizing on every scrap of information concerning the

refugees' activities and even occasionally personally indulging in the

intrigues he so much despised. Late in 1850 , for example, Schramm had

written Willich a letter containing fantastic plans for revolution in Ger-

many and inviting Willich to take charge. He signed it with the name of

Hermann Becker of the Cologne group. Willich fell into the trap and

replied with bold plans for immediate revolution. Marx foresaw an excel-

lent opportunity to ridicule Willich and attempted to get the letters from

Willich, but without success. Marx's bitterness was increased by Willich's

alliance with 'Jesus-Christ' Kinkel (as Marx liked to call him) who had

arrived in London at the end of 1850 , his prestige as a young revolutionary

writer even further enhanced by a remarkable escape from his Prussian

gaol. Kinkel frequented the smart colony of German refugees in St John's

Wood, gave public lectures at a guinea a head, and soon earned enough

money to present his wife with an Evrard grand piano. More grandiose

plans followed: in late 1851 Willich and Kinkel produced a scheme

(inspired by Mazzini's highly successful 'shilling fund' for European

democracy) for a German Revolutionary Loan to 'further the coming

republican revolution', and Kinkel departed for America to publicise it.

The target was two million dollars, but only a few thousands were actually

lent which, after causing yet more dissension among the refugees, found

their way into the vaults of the Westminster Bank in London - to be

used (years later) to help found the German Social Democrat Party. A

brief attempt made in August 1851 to unite the refugees was unsuccessful,

and the split remained between the two main factions: the radical republi-

cans led by Marx's old enemy Ruge, and the socialists led by Kinkel and

Willich.

At the end of 1851 the arrival of more refugees from Germany
coincided with a growing dissatisfaction within the Association over
Willich's policies. The arrest of his Paris supporters and Napoleon's coup
d'etat made his revolutionary plans less and less plausible. Dissatisfaction
was increased by Marx who, through Liebknecht, spread the rumour that
Willich was concealing money destined for the refugees. In December
some workers who, with Marx's approval, had formed an opposition group