bitterness, which, should it continue so violent as at present, could accomplish nothing; and the more their action against the bourgeoisie will lose its savage cruelty.  If, indeed, it were possible to make the whole proletariat communistic before the war breaks out, the end would be very peaceful; but that is no longer possible, the time has gone by.  Meanwhile, I think that before the outbreak of open, declared war of the poor against the rich, there will be enough intelligent comprehension of the social question among the proletariat, to enable the communistic party, with the help of events, to conquer the brutal element of the revolution and prevent a “Ninth Thermidor.”  In any case, the experience of the French will not have been undergone in vain, and most of the Chartist leaders are, moreover, already Communists.  And as Communism stands above the strife between bourgeoisie and proletariat, it will be easier for the better elements of the bourgeoisie (which are, however, deplorably few, and can look for recruits only among the rising generation) to unite with it than with purely proletarian Chartism.

If these conclusions have not been sufficiently established in the course of the present work, there may be other opportunities for demonstrating that they are necessary consequences of the historical development of England.  But this I maintain, the war of the poor against the rich now carried on in detail and indirectly will become direct and universal.  It is too late for a peaceful solution.  The classes are divided more and more sharply, the spirit of resistance penetrates the workers, the bitterness intensifies, the guerilla skirmishes become concentrated in more important battles, and soon a slight impulse will suffice to set the avalanche in motion.  Then, indeed, will the war-cry resound through the land:  “War to the palaces, peace to the cottages!”—­but then it will be too late for the rich to beware.

TRANSLATORS NOTE.

Being unable at this late day to obtain the original English, the translator has been compelled to re-translate from the German the passages quoted in the text from the following sources:—­G.  Alston, preacher of St. Philip’s, Bethnal Green.—­D.  W. P. Alison, F.R.S.E., “Observations on the Management of the Poor in Scotland,” 1840.—­The Artisan, 1842, October number.—­J.  C. Symonds, “Arts and Artisans at Home and Abroad,” Edin., 1839.—­Report of the Town Council of Leeds, published in Statistical Journal, vol. ii., p. 404.—­Nassau W. Senior, “Letters on the Factory Act to the Rt.  Hon. the President of the Board of Trade” (Chas. Poulett Thomson, Esq.), London, 1837.—­Report of the Children’s Employment Commission.—­Mr. Parkinson, Canon of Manchester, “On the Present Condition of the Labouring Poor in Manchester,” 3rd Ed., 1841.—­Factories’ Inquiries Commission’s Report.—­E.  G. Wakefield, M. P., “Swing Unmasked; or, The Cause of Rural Incendiarism,” London, 1831.—­A Correspondent of the Morning Chronicle.—­Anonymous pamphlet on “The State of Ireland,” London, 1807; 2nd Ed., 1821.—­Report of the Poor Law Commissioners:  Extracts from Information received by the Poor Law Commissioners.  Published by Authority, London, 1833.