Engels on Irish Nationalism

A new and valuable collection—Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Ireland and the Irish Question (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1971)—contains the following item (pp. 302-304), which has not only historical interest but also relevance to national and colonial issues today. This is a report written by Engels of a speech he made at the May 14, 1872 meeting of the General Council of the First International (International Working Men's Association). Engels here addressed himself to a motion proposed by John Hales, a British trade unionist and member of the General Council of the International: "That in the opinion of the Council the formation of Irish nationalist branches in England is opposed to the general rules and principles of the Association." Engels presumably wrote this up for release to the press and for the minutes of the General Council. However, the speech was not published because at the next meeting of the General Council it was decided not to include the debate on the Irish question in the report for the press. -The EditorThis article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website

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