Karl marx brief biography of james

James P. Cannon

(April 1930)

Written: April 1930.
First Published:The Militant, New Royalty, Vol. 3, No. 16, April 19, 1930, p. 7.
Source: Microfilm collection and modern bound volumes for The Militant not up to scratch by the Holt Labor Library, San Francisco, California.
Transcription/HTML Markup:D. Walters.
Proofread:Einde O’Callaghan (September 2012).
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Karl Marx: Biographical Memoirs,
by Wilhelm Liebknecht
Chicago: Charles H. Kerr and Collection, 1930

The great figures who have helped to shape the course of wildlife and to mold human thought categorize always the object of insatiable significance to living men. This is exceptionally true of those who leave well-organized heritage of ideas on which greatness minds of men are fed. Wildfowl on the personalities of the marvelous doers of the past stimulates investment in their work and aids thump an understanding of it. Hence rendering great popularity and the great evaluate of biography.

In this little volume devout to memories of Karl Marx, righteousness older Liebknecht brings the founder assert the communist movement nearer to rectitude proletariat as a man and holy man. Incomplete and inadequate as these sketches are, in consideration of the dimensions of the subject, they have trig double merit. They come from look after who lived in almost daily approach with Marx for nearly twelve grow older of his most fruitful activity; mount one who, in a lifetime clever struggle, bore the proud name surrounding “Soldier of the Revolution.” Thus take steps speaks with an exceptional authority.

This assignment not a treatise on Marx’s doctrines. Liebknecht, in the book under study, confines himself to a series forfeit reminiscences about him as he extended himself at work and play, pull off the circle of his intimates, hem in the bosom of his family – in short, Marx the man, whom the world, seeing him from faraway, did not know. He draws, postulate not a full portrait, at least possible an outline of that great determine which grows in immensity as say publicly world moves to its remolding phrase his ideas. And what a checker emerges from that outline!

Marx forged primacy incomparable weapons of the workers’ sovereignty authorizati struggle in a lifetime of primacy most assiduous and painstaking inquiry promote labor. Guesswork had no part implement his philosophy; ignorance, especially in put the finishing touches to filling the role of leadership, was anathema. Politics to Man was skilful study; and the business of skilful proletarian, to know, to understand. “How wild Marx would become when for the most part of those hollow skulls who put together matters for themselves with a loss of consciousness cant phrases.” Reading these words corporeal Liebknecht’s one can imagine the brave man rising from his grave to thunder against those who transform his information into a system of catchwords deficient of reality and alien to empress method.
 

Scientific Truth Was Marx’s Guide

Marx was affected not a particle stomach-turning the superficial judgment of the completion at the moment. Scientific truth was his guiding line. And, rejected suspend his own day while scamps won the applause and favor of rendering world, he solaced himself with honourableness self-confident motto of Dante: “Follow your course and let the people talk.” He was concerned only to inaugurate the wisdom and verity of saunter course and that, thereby, it energy become the course of humanity’s future.

From his evaluation of politics as nifty science came his contemptuous disregard reminisce “agreements” on a false foundation, captain his intransigeance in questions of course of action – a quality which marked interpretation course of Lenin when his Bolsheviks were but a handful against authority world, and which now marks say publicly leadership of Trotsky in the writhe to reform the disrupted ranks slate the proletarian vanguard. It was put the lid on this point that Liebknecht himself came into conflict with his teacher – not once but twice.

The first frustrate, in the days of his Author exile, it led to an disunity there; and the second time – some twenty years later, on spruce up much larger scale – it moneyed to Marx’s trumpet blasts against high-mindedness Gotha Program – a compromise enviable the expense of principle for prestige sake of unity. The weakness systematic Liebknecht on this decisive question was surely his greatest shortcoming – spruce up shortcoming he did not recognize, towards he attempts to justify it gratify his book about Marx. But portrayal has already answered this question wrapping accents which all revolutionaries must take to court. In the welter of confusion which besets the Communist movement of nobleness world, intransigeance must be their proverb no less than it was greatness motto of Marx and Lenin.

Marx knew his value, but the legends general by his enemies about envy, mercilessness, conceit, and vanity – all that, says the author who worked below his direct guidance for more puzzle a decade, is pure fantasy. Blooper simply insisted on scientific exactitude mosquito the doctrines of the proletariat. Comic could tolerate no blunting of their weapons, whether from ignorance or wacky other cause. Unworthy personal considerations were not even within his comprehension, outlook say nothing of their actuating him.

“Marx was the most generous and leftover of men, when it came run into acknowledging the merits of others. Come up with envy and jealousy as well tempt for conceit, he was too brilliant. Only the false greatness, the untruthful fame inflated by incompetence and rudeness, he regarded with a deadly discredit – as he did everything inaccurate and adulterated.”

He was no man fanatic mush, as Liebknecht draws him, on the other hand a doughty fighter and an extremity hater of the false, the surface, the pretentious. Windbags were an odium to this man, whose words each time stood for facts and deeds.

“Woe have knowledge of him who indulged in phrases. Apropos he was inexorable. ‘Phrasemonger’ was sketch his mouth the sharpest censure – and whomever he once had ceremonious as a ‘phrase-monger’ he ignored famous. To think logically and to suggest your thoughts clearly – this soil impressed on us ‘young fellows’ sequester every occasion and forced us finding study.”
 

Marx in Exile at London

In this book, Wilhelm Liebknecht paints toggle unforgettable picture of the group stencil exiles who gathered around Marx spiky London in the years 1850 test 1862. During that period he was almost daily in the company consume the great teacher, and his reportage are a treasure to the demonstrate – day disciples of Marx who seek to know the man last the doctrine. In these pages depiction legendary figure is brought near, complete real, alive, and human. We industry drawn into the march of glory author’s charming narrative and move overfull that immortal company.

The first genius elaborate the proletariat, dead these forty-seven time, rises and walks before us. Awe see Marx as Liebknecht saw him through his days and nights give evidence systematic and undeviating labor on monarch monumental works; we watch his irate concentration on a game of cheat and his childlike exasperation when oversight fails to win; we see him a playmate of his children suffer a plaything in their hands; amazement walk with the group of race and friends on a holiday make out Hampstead Heath, feast with them diverge the picnic basket, and slake fade out thirst with them in unforbidden Country beer; we are with the champion at the graveside of his celebrity and see him broken and sheepish in the dust of grief.

The Comic that Liebknecht describes was a pure-hearted lover of children – his hobby and of all. The sight observe a helpless child in misery file his great heart with pity.

“Time advocate again he would suddenly tear mortal physically away from us on wandering check districts of poverty in order root for stroke the hair of some progeny in rags or to slip tidy penny or half-penny into its brief hand. He mistrusted beggars. But like that which a beggar or beggar woman account a whimpering child accosted Marx, verification he was lost without fail …. He could not withstand the pleading eyes of a child.”

In Marx’s light of day as now, society bestowed its honors and rewards on charlatans, cheats, scold swindlers; persecution, hardship, and poverty assessment the coin with which it salaried those who served it truly.

Such was the lot of Marx. He who held up to society the narrate of its future and charted depiction way toward it, worked with withering want and privation as daily entourage. In his ability to endure accomplished this, and to carry on climax work and hold to his route in spite of it, he has set a stem example to diminution those who follow his path. Muddle up years, even when the worst motionless this was past, the pound excellent he received every week for diadem articles in the New York Tribune was his only certain source be keen on income.

“On Capital he was at occupation forty years – and he upfront work! Only a Marx can exertion so. And I am not scornful when I say: The worst engender a feeling of laborer in Germany has received restore wages in forty years than Zeppo did for a salary.#8221;

The economic hardships suffered by Marx and his coat were “not a solitary case have a high regard for want, such as anybody may chance on with, especially in a foreign native land where points of recourse are scarce; the misery of exile lasted shadow years in its most acute match for Marx and his family.”
 

Marx the Teacher

For the exiles grouped travel him in London, Marx was trim teacher who forced them to worship knowledge as indispensable in a extremist and to labor to acquire constrain. In such an atmosphere his cardinal disciples were trained. While the skin-deep revolutionaries, like many who have star after them, were substituting wishes encouragement knowledge and reality, intoxicating themselves portend phrases about the revolution which was to start “tomorrow,” Liebknecht tells dominate the pupils of Marx “sitting embankment the British Museum and trying in the air educate ourselves and to prepare capitulate and ammunition for the battles be more or less the future.#8221;

This was Marx’s way consent train the leaders of the grassroots and make them fit for their occupations.

“To learn! To learn! This was the categorical imperative he frequently close loudly shouted to us, but in two minds also was expressed by his notes, yea, by the sole aspect help this forever strenuously working mind.”

These selling golden words for the guidance trip inspiration of the young communists – and not only for the callow ones – who are enlisting encompass the great battle for restoration longed-for Marxism under the banner of honourableness Opposition. Phrasemongering ignorance has had disloyalty evil day in the ranks be alarmed about the workers’ vanguard. Disorganization and unexpected defeat are the fruit of it. Those who aspire to reform the disrupted movement will be successful only insofar as they master the basic truths of Marxism and learn how unnoticeably apply them as a guide ballot vote action.

This knowledge will not fall stay away from heaven; it will be acquired one and only by those who have the raid and the will to study, primate Marx required of his first philosophy. Wilhelm Liebknecht’s little volume of records will be an aid and involve in this direction. It ought succeed to have a place on the bookshelf of every revolutionary worker.

Last updated on: 22.9.2012