The International Working Men's Association, 1872
The International Working Men's Association, 1872
Translated: into English by Richard Dixon and Alex Miller, for Progress Publishers, 1976;
Transcribed: by director@marx.org.
[Mandate bears round stamp: "The International Working Men's Association. Spanish Federal Council".]
I certify that Comrade Carlos Alerini, teacher, has been appointed by the Barcelona Federation as a delegate to the International Congress and also that in his conduct he must be guided in everything by the imperative mandate of the Spanish Federation. In confirmation of this we issue him the present document.
In the name and by the agreement of the Federal Council,
The General Secretary for Internal Affairs,
Francisco Tomàs
Comrade Carlos Alerini, teacher. Valencia, August 25, 1872
[Back of mandate, in pencil: "Carlos Alerini, worker and teacher, chemist, Rue Mercadere, 42, Barcelona (Spain)."]
Spanish original
We, members of the International of Marseilles, and of the commission, delegate Citizen Alerini to the Congress of The Hague as our representative.
Signed by the delegates
Achard,
J. Baptiste Duan,
José Parmias,
José Caparé
Marseilles
August 22, 1872
[Mandate has following note in Spanish: "The stamp has not been placed on this document because it has been detained. Noting this, we hope it will be taken into consideration."]
French original
[A blue square of paper with embossed stamp: "German Workers' Educational Society in Basle" -- and an oval stamp with the same words.]
From the German Workers' Educational Society, Basle for Citizen Joh. Ph. Becker
The German Workers' Educational Society in Basle has decided at an extraordinary sitting on August 20, 1872 in accordance with the proposal of the Geneva Society to send Citizen Joh. Ph. Becker as delegate to the International Congress in The Hague;
Certified in the name of the Society with Social-Democratic greetings to all the party comrades at The Hague.
The Chairman Jak Spetzmann
The Secretary König Georg
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "Workers' Educational Society in Geneva".]
We hereby empower Citizen Joh. Philipp Becker to represent our Society at the International Congress at The Hague.
The delegate is obliged to vote for the maintenance in principle of the General Council.
The annual subscription for 150 members has been paid.
By order of the Society:
The Chairman: C. May
The Treasurer: K. Mohrle
The Secretary: J. Manch
Geneva,
August 28, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "International Working Men's Association, Geneva Branch"]
The German Section of the International Working Men's Association in Geneva has elected Citizen Becker (John. Ph.) as its representative at the International Workers' Congress at The Hague on September 2, 1872 and hereby issues him its mandate.
For the German Section of the International Working Men's Association, Geneva
The Chairman: C. May
The Treasurer: S. Kannenberg
Geneva,
August 28, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears two oval stamps: "International Working Men's Association. Basle Section" and "International Working Men's Association. Zurich Section"]
We hereby empower Citizen 3. Ph. Becker to represent the Basle Section at the General Congress at The Hague and to vote in its name.
In the name and by the order of the Basle Section
The Treasurer: H. Hoffmann, A. Hartmann
The Secretary: J. Dumas, C. Schürmann, C. Fäh
Basle,
August 28,1872
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Basle Section has paid its annual subscription for 22 members to the General Council. The money was forwarded with other subscriptions through the Zurich Section to the General Council.
In the name of the Zurich Section
The Correspondent: Herman Greulich
Zurich,
August 27,1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "International Working Men's Association. Zurich Section".]
We hereby empower Citizen 3. Ph. Becker to represent the Uster Section at the General Congress at The Hague and to vote in its name.
In the name of the Uster Section
The Correspondent: Pr. Hege
The Treasurer: Hr. R. Sean
Uster
August 1872
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Uster Section has paid the annual subscriptions for 20 members to the General Council. The money was forwarded with other subscriptions through the Zurich Section to the General Council.
In the name of the Zurich Section
The Correspondent: Herman Greulich
Zurich,
August 27, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamps: "International Working Men's Association. Zurich Section" and "International Working Men's Association. Rorschach Section"]
We hereby empower Citizen 3. Ph. Becker to represent the Rorschach Section at the General Congress at The Hague and to vote in its name.
In the name and by the order of the Rorschach Section
Vul. Federer, Chairman
John. Graf, Secretary
Reinh. Ringger, Treasurer
Rorschach,
August 1872
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rorschach Section has paid its annual subscriptions for 52 members to the General Council. The money was forwarded with other subscriptions through the Zurich Section to the General Council.
In the name of the Zurich Section
The Correspondent: Herman Greulich
Zurich,
August 27, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "Concordia, Zug."]
The Society named below hereby empowers Citizen Joh. Ph. Becker in Geneva to represent it at the Congress of the International Working Men's Association.
In the name of the German Workers' Educational Society Concordia in Zug
The Treasurer: J. Sachse
The Secretary: Dietzschold
The Chairman: C. Gernert
Zug,
August 27, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "German Workers' Society in Lucerne"]
The Society named below empowers Mr. 3. Ph. Becker in Geneva to attend the International Congress at The Hague to represent its social-democratic principles.
In the name of the German Society
The Chairman: B. Moje
The Secretary: J. Rossner
Lucerne,
August 27, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "International Working Men's Association. Romance Federal Committee".]
Citizens,
The Romance Federal Committee at its last sitting appointed Citizen 3. P. Becker to represent it at the Congress:
we ask you to consider him as our mandatory, whom we trust to defend our principles and our ideas.
Please accept our fraternal greetings.
In the name of the Romance Federal Committee,
The General Secretary, H. Perret
French original
The members of the local International Working Men's Association assembled on August 25 have appointed Citizen Adolf Hepner in Leipzig to be their representative at the Congress which is to take place on September 2 at The Hague.
The Chairman of the sitting: C. F. Rick
The Secretary. W. Hock
Regenshurg,
September 4, 1872
German original
The Hague Section of the International Working Men's Association at their sitting today have empowered Citizen Victor Dave to represent the section at the Congress of the International Working Men's Association at The Hague beginning on September 2.
The Corresponding Secretary of the above-mentioned section,
Bruno Lieberse
The Hague, September 1, 1872
Geneva,
August 29, 1872
English original
[Seven of the eight-page mandate bear round stamp: "International Working Men's Association. Propaganda and Socialist Revolutionary Action Section. No duties without rights and no rights without duties. Liberty, equality, solidarity. Geneva".]
International Working Men's Association
Geneva Propaganda and Socialist Revolutionary Action Section
Sitting of August 30, 1872
The Geneva Propaganda, etc. Section at its sitting of August 30 charged Citizen Zhukovsky, a member of the section, to represent it at the Hague Congress with the following imperative mandate:
Considering that the principle of autonomy, which excludes any idea of authoritarianism, was accepted as a basis of the organisation of the International Working Men's Association at the First Congress of the Association, held at Geneva in 1866;
Considering that as a result of administrative dispositions taken by subsequent congresses this fundamental principle has been disregarded by the London General Council, which has permitted itself to change our Rules and to publish an official edition of them whereas this right belongs only to the general congresses;
Considering that this fact has caused disorganisation in the whole of the Association at the very moment when the fall of the Paris Commune should have moved us to rally all the Association's forces from the point of view of propaganda and action;
Considering that such an order of things paralyses the Association's forces,
The Propaganda and Socialist Revolutionary Action Section accedes to the proposal of the General Council which places a revision of the Rules on the agenda.
I. The Section declares, moreover, that the federative principle should serve as the basis of the organisation of the International Working Men's Association, which consists of autonomous sections in the federations and of autonomous federations in the Association.
The sections should organise by trades according to all the various branches of production, but it is absolutely necessary that alongside these corporative sections there should be sections of study and of propaganda which take names and titles according to their convenience.
The sections of study and propaganda are indispensable for the following reason: the corporative sections are obliged to devote all their time to matters of their trade, that is, to organising resistance to Capital. Questions of principle are necessarily neglected by them and this is the reason why the workers belonging to the Association are often ignorant of its aim and principle and disregard entirely tile principal resolutions of the congresses. Every man who is forced to earn his living by work which exhausts him without sufficiently providing for his needs is revolutionary and socialist by instinct, but in order to change the face of things instinct must be transformed into consciousness, which can be done only by study.
II. The sections should federate freely from the double point of view of resistance to capital by industrial regions and resistance to the political power of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy by nations.
The sections' link between themselves is the Federal Committee, whose functions are those of a simple correspondence and statistics bureau. The regional federal committee has the right to suspend a section until the next regional congress, which is the only judge in the matter.
The federal committees may well correspond with one another, but a central statistics bureau for the whole Association is indispensable and, considering that the General Council, which was initially useful, has become not only useless, but harmful, the delegate of the Section will have to demand:
1. The abolition of the said General Council;
2. The organisation of a central correspondence and statistics bureau, appointed no longer by the congress, but by the regional federations on the basis of from one to three members of each federation. This bureau will keep a register of the sections and will publish a bulletin of the Association, a subscription of ten francs a year per member being paid into the treasury of the bureau. Those sections which do not make this payment before February 1 of each year will be deprived of the right of representation at the following congress.
The bulletin of the Association shall contain only an exact account of the working-class movement, without ever dealing with the disagreements between the sections and federations and without ever touching on questions of principle, these questions having to be dealt with by the federations themselves in their newspapers.
One copy of this bulletin will be sent free of charge to every section of the International.
III. The congress will name in advance two towns where the next congress will be held, the first town named having priority; in case of some hindrance as regards this town, the central bureau will name another one after consulting the federations. It goes without saying that the place of assembly of the congress must as far as possible be the most central point in Europe.
IV. The delegate of the Section shall protest:
1. Against the General Council's choice of the place of assembly of the present Congress.
2. Against the private circular which the said General Council permitted itself to publish whereas no International congress has given it the right to launch manifestos.
V. In order to ensure success of the work of the Congress, that is to say, to bring back to the International Working Men's Association the unity which it is losing, the delegate shall:
1. Support all proposals tending to give the Association institutions sanctioning the most complete autonomy of groups by excluding all power and authoritarian dispositions.
2. Insist that all discussions of persons be absolutely and rigorously excluded from the deliberations of the Congress.
VI. In the event of questions of principle being placed on the agenda of the Hague Congress, the delegate of the section of propaganda and socialist revolutionary action shall develop them from the following triple point of view:
I. Abolition of the State by a Federation of Communes.
II. Abolition of property by the collective force of the workers organised in groups according to production and collectively possessing the instruments of labour.
III. Abolition of the Churches, religions and religious congregations and also of all associations connected with them by integrated education.
Adopted at the General Assembly of the Geneva Section on August 30, 1872.
The Committee of the Section:
The Secretary, L. Decraille
The Chairman, A. Claris
Treasurer A. Michon
French original
[Note in pencil: "N. Zhukovsky, teacher, Geneva, Terrassière, maison Treiber."]
The Hague, Holland to the Chairman of the International Congress
The Revolutionary Socialist Propaganda Section is not represented at the Congress. If any one appears his mandate is not valid. Letter will follow after sitting.
For a group of section members:
Lacord, member of Commune Central Committee
Ledroit, Elpidin, section members
Submitted to the Congress at the seventh sitting,
September 5, 1872
Translated from the telegram in French
[Telegram No. 7/92. Sent from Geneva, 4/IX 1872, 1150 hrs. Received
at The Hague 5/IX 1872, 0148 hrs.]
[Mandate bears in right-hand corner a note made in 1932 in Cuno's handwriting in English: "My own credential." In the left-hand corner is written: "Cuno, engineer, of no fixed residence, is leaving Europe. The Hague, September 2, 1872. Cuno."]
In the name of the members of the International Working Men's Association assembled here (50 in number) we entrust Citizen Th. Cuno in Brussels to represent us at the Hague Congress.
By order:
Th. Burckhardt,
G. Krüll,
Fr. Mayer,
W. Umland,
Fr. Heber,
Secretary Theodor Burckhardt, wood engraver, [illegible]bergstrasse, 18 Stuttgart,
August 26, 1872
German original
[At top of mandate, in Cuno's handwriting: "My Düsseldorf credential instructing me to vote against Bakunin."]
On Monday, August 26, 1872, a section of the International Working Men's Association was formed in Düsseldorf consisting of ten members. The section charges Citizen Th. F. Cuno to inform the General Council of its formation and to convey the subscription of ten Silbergroschen. At the same time at the Congress in The Hague from September 2 till the end Cuno is charged to defend the existing Rules most energetically and to oppose the intrigues of the Alliance of Socialist Democracy led by Bakunin.
By order:
Ernst Reichel, Neustrasse 1/1l,
Th. Becker,
V. Redemann,
A. Dreiser, Kreuzstrasse 14,
H. Nellershem
Friedr. Mau, Düsseldorf,
August 29, 1872
German original
[Left corner bears oval stamp: "International Working Men's Association, Geneva. Central Section of Working Women"]
Geneva, August 30, 1872
Mademoiselle,
The Central Section of Working Women requests you to accept its thanks for your obliging offer to represent it at the Hague Congress. In accepting your good offices it knows, Mademoiselle, that it cannot confide its cause to an advocate more worthy of defending it and more capable of ensuring its triumph.
Greetings and solidarity.
In the name of the Section,
the Secretary, V. Tinayre
Hereby the Central Section of Working Women empowers Mademoiselle Harriet Law to represent it at the General Congress at The Hague.
This mandate is imperative. Mademoiselle Law will not be free to depart from the terms in which it is conceived (in her capacity as representative of the Section). The givers of the mandate protest in advance against anything which the holder might say or do outside that which is prescribed to her herein.
Mademoiselle Law will make known to the Congress and in case of need develop the following wishes:
Considering, first:
That the working woman's needs are equal to those of the working man and that the pay for her work is much less,
The Central Section of Working Women requests the Congress to include in its resolutions that henceforth
Agreements reached between employers and strikers of a trade in which women are employed will stipulate the same advantages for them as for men as this has been adopted by the Congress of the Romance Federation held this year at Vevey.
Considering, secondly:
That the more different groups of opinion there are on the ways of achieving the same aim, the emancipation of labour, the easier it is to generalise the working-class movement without losing any of the forces (even the most widely diverging) to concur in the final result;
That it is advisable to leave to individuals, within the principles of the International, the right to group according to their tastes and their opinions.
Consequently:
The Working Women of the Central Section demand:
That the General Council shall not have the power to reject any section, whatever particular purpose it proposes, whatever its principles, provided that purpose and principles are not capable of harming those of the International Working Men's Association and are compatible with the General Rules.
Done at Geneva, August 30, 1872
In the name of the Section,
the General Secretary, V. Tinayre
The minute hereof was signed by Mesdames:
Lutz (Marie)
Lutz (Lina)
Sattler
Frey
Giullaume
Rapp
Pignier
Voitet
Bernard
Brodt
Andignoux
Lavalette
Vitoux
Boulanger
Mosie
V. T.
One word herein has been struck out.
V. Tinayre
French original
Extract of the minutes of the meeting held the 28th of August 1872.
It was unanimously adopted that Mr. J. P. MacDonnell will be appointed to represent the Dublin Branch at the General Congress of 1872.
Dublin the 28 of Aug. 72.
The Secretary, Wery
28 Lower Pembroke St.
Dublin
[On mandate back is written:]
"28 Lower Pembroke St.
Dublin
Friend MacDonnell,
Do your best for us, we trust you."
Yours truly,
Wery.
English original
Section No. 1,
International Working Men's Association,
North America,
10 Ward Hotel
To Karl Marx in London
Dear Comrade,
I have to inform you that at the sitting of July 28 you were appointed delegate of the above-named section to the general Hague Congress and that we are expecting you in accordance with our choice to represent New York Section No. 1 at the said Congress.
Your mandate will be sent to you through one of our delegates to Congress, on their arrival in Europe.
According to a decision at the same sitting, July 28, your instructions for the Hague Congress are that, in common with our delegate going out direct from here, you will have strictly to support the Congress decisions of the North American Federation, which, in substance, aim at a taut organisation and above all centralisation in the fullest sense of the word, and are directed against the machinations of Bakunin, Guillaume and their associates, who intend to decentralise the International Working Men's Association in order to gain more elbow room for their personal intrigues and to cripple our movement.
Section No. 1 of New York was prevented this time by the Congress of our Federation from asserting its view on the need for a revision of the General Rules in the form of decisions, and we therefore leave it to you to act according to your own judgment in this matter at the Hague Congress as well as in all other matters that are discussed or decided at this Congress.
Section No. 1 of New York is fully aware that, in appointing you as their delegate, they carry the responsibility for any expenses you may incur, but I must explain to you that at the moment our funds are completely exhausted and even the smallest expenditure is impossible.
The importance of the Hague Congress demands despite this fact that we be directly represented, and we hope you will find ways and means of achieving this even without our help.
With fraternal greetings
C. Speyer, corresponding secretary
Address of the corresponding secretary
C. Speyer
76 South 5th Ave
New York
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "North American Federal Council of the International Working Men's Association".]
The bearer of the present, Karl Marx, was elected at the sitting of the above-named section on July 28, 1872 as its representative at the General Congress at The Hague and is the representative of Section No. 1 of New York empowered to cast his decisive vote for the latter.
Corresponding Secretary C. Speyer
Chairman of the sitting F. A. Sorge
July 28, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears round stamp: "International Working Men's Association, Spanish Federal Council"]
By direct vote you have been elected delegate for the Spanish Federation to the International Congress of our beloved International Working Men's Association; I inform you that in your conduct you must conform in everything to the imperative mandate granted by the Regional Federation. Authorised by the latter we issue you this mandate.
Greeting and social liquidation.
In the name and by the agreement of the Federal Council,
The General Secretary for Internal Affairs,
Francisco Tomàs
[Written in margin: "Writer and apprentice silk weaver, (address) Caldereros 14"]
To Comrade Nicolás Alonso Marselau,
Member of the Seville Federation
Valencia,
August 25, 1872
Spanish original
[Mandate bears round stamp: "International Working Men's
Association, Spanish Federal Council".]
By direct vote you have been elected delegate for the Spanish Federation to the international Congress of our beloved International Working Men's Association; I inform you that in your conduct you must conform in everything to the imperative mandate granted by the Regional Federation. Authorised by the latter we issue you this mandate.
Greeting and social liquidation.
In the name and by the agreement of the Federal Council,
The General Secretary for Internal Affairs,
Francisco Tomàs
To Comrade Tomàs Gonzales Morago, engraver, member of the Madrid Federation
[Written in margin: "Tomàs Gonzales Morago, Calle de Caballero
de Gracia 8, Madrid, Spain"]
Valencia,
August 25, 1872
Spanish original
[Affixed to the mandate is a stamp showing payment of member's dues with the words: "International Working Men's Association. General Council. 1871-1872". The text is preceded by a note in Frankel's handwriting: "Not to be published. Austria".]
Citizen Oberwinder of Vienna is hereby empowered to represent our interests at the Congress of the International at The Hague.
The Chairman, Louis Hugo
Reichenberg,
August 30, 1872
German original
The undersigned citizens, refugees in Brussels, having formed a section recognised by the General Council in London [space left blank for date] delegate Citizen Potel to the Congress of the International Working Men's Association at The Hague.
C. E. Biduet,
G. Mondet
French original
[Mandate on printed form of the International Working Men's Association. British Federal Council.]
7 Red Lion Court,
[London]
August 29, 1872
This is to certify that Citizen Thomas Roach was duly elected as Delegate to represent the above Council at the ensuing General Congress of the Association, which assembles at The Hague on the first Monday in September 1872.
Signed:
Charles Arthur Wyatt, Chairman
Edmund Hills, Secretary
English original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "International Working Men's Association. Section No. 2 of New York". In the margin is written in pencil: "169 members".]
International Working Men's Association American Branch
At its sitting of August 4, 1872 Section No. 2 of New York, the United States, appointed Citizen Arsène Sauva to be its delegate to the world congress which is to open at The Hague on the first Monday in September 1872.
The Chairman of the sitting, H. Charnier
The Cashier, T. Millot
The Secretary of the sitting, E. Godon
The Corresponding Secretary, Jeandru G.
The Treasurer, A. Sauva
New York,
August 4, 1872
French original
A special meeting of Section "12" of the I.W.A. of the U.S. of America was held Thursday evening August 8th 1872 at 48 Broad St. The object of the meeting was stated to be the election of a Delegate to represent the section in the General Congress of the I.W.A. to be held at The Hague, Holland, on the first Monday in September.
Citizen William West was duly elected as said Delegate and charged with the duty of defending the section against any charges that may have been preferred against it from any source; and also of securing the revocation of the unjust decree of suspension by the General Council at London, England.
Victoria C. Woodhull, Chairman
John Little, Recording Secretary
English original
[Mandate bears round stamp: "International Working Men's Association. Spanish Federal Council". Page 4 bears in blue pencil: "R. Farga Pellicer, printer, Rue Carretas, 63, 1 Barcelona (Spain)." Pages 2 and 3 are blank.]
I certify that Comrade Rafael Farga Pellicer, printer, has been appointed by the Barcelona Federation as delegate to the international Congress; that in his conduct he must be guided entirely by the imperative mandate of the Spanish Federation. For which purpose we issue him the present mandate.
In the name and by the agreement of the Federal Council, The General Secretary for Internal Affairs,
Francisco Tomàs
To Comrade Rafael Farga Pellicer, printer
Valencia,
August 25,1872
Spanish original
We, Belgian delegates, certify that Comrade Fluse has been delegated to the Congress of The Hague by the Vesdre Valley Federation.
Roch Splingard
[name Victor Dave struck out]
D. Brismée
Alfred Herman
Ph. Coenen
N. Eberhardt
H. Van den Abeele
The undersigned, member of the Verviers Section, attended the Federal Congress which delegated Comrade Fluse to the Congress of The Hague.
Victor Dave
French original
The Breslau members of the International Working Men's Association charge Mr. Frederick Engels in London to represent them at the Congress of the International Working Men's Association on September 2 this year at The Hague.
Heinrich Oehme,
Paul Bock,
Hermann Kriemichen
Breslau,
August 19, 1872
German original
[Mandate bears oval stamp: "North American Federal Council of the International Working Men's Association".]
This is to certify that Mr. Frederick Engels of London is duly elected to represent section six of the I.W.A. of New York, North America, in the General Congress which is to be held at Hague from the 2 of September 1872.
Fr. J. Bertrand, Chairman pro temp.
John Stock, Secretary
New York,
August 8,1872
To certify the genuineness of the above credentials I affix hereunto the seal of the Federal Council I.W.A. for North America and my signature.
F. Bolte,
General Secretary of the Federal Council,
International Working Men's Association,
North America
English original
The undersigned, delegates of the various sections of the International Working Men's Association assembled at a meeting of the local Lisbon Council,
Being informed by the newspapers of the polemics which have been publicly raised by the members of the Alliance of Socialist Democracy in different countries;
Considering that the conduct of the Alliance has produced lamentable consequences for the prestige of the International Working Men's Association;
That its purpose is to dominate and disorganise our Association and to direct the working class towards a particular aim;
That if there is a reason for accusing the General Council this accusation should have been submitted to the consideration of the sections, resolved within their framework and sanctioned by the Congress;
Considering also that the conduct of the Italian sections is contrary to the letter and the spirit of the General Rules of the International;
That the said sections have committed an act of despotism by arrogating the authority to convene a General Congress, thus violating the basic principle of the Statute;
For all these reasons we propose:
1. In respect of the Alliance:
That it be declared a society dangerous and highly prejudicial to the economic emancipation of the working class and that the Congress must act with energy against it.
2. In respect of the Italian sections:
That their resolution relative to the convening of a General Congress be considered as a violation of the basic principle of the Statute which unites all the members of the International.
Daniel Alves, Chairman of the sitting,
José Almeida y Santos
José da Silva
José Pereira
Raimundo Luba
Santos Leite
Celestino Aspro, Secretary
Nobre França, Secretary
Lisbon,
August 23, 1872
Published in the newspaper La Emancipacion No. 65, September 14, 1872
Spanish original
The delegates of the Jura Federation are given an imperative mandate to present to the Congress of The Hague the following principles as the basis of the organisation of the International.
Any group of workers which adheres to the programme of the International as it has been defined by the preamble to the General Rules voted at the Geneva Congress, and which undertakes to observe economic solidarity in respect of all the workers and groups of workers in the struggle against monopoly capital is a section of the International enjoying full rights.
The federative principle being the basis of the organisation of the International, the sections federate freely among themselves and the federations federate freely among themselves with full autonomy, setting up according to their needs all the organs of correspondence, statistics bureaus, etc., which they judge to be suitable.
The Jura Federation sees as a consequence of the above-mentioned principles the abolition of the General Council and the suppression of all authority in the International.
The Jura delegates must act in complete solidarity with the Spanish, Italian and French delegates and all those who protest frankly and broadly against the authoritarian principle. Consequently, refusal to admit a delegate of these federations must lead to the immediate withdrawal of the Jura delegates.
Similarly, if the Congress does not accept the organizational bases of the International set forth above, the delegates will have to withdraw in agreement with the delegates of the anti-authoritarian federations.
As far as will he possible, the Jura delegates will eliminate all personal questions and will hold discussion in that field only when they are forced to do so, proposing to the Congress oblivion of the past and for the future the election of courts of honour, which will have to take a decision every time an accusation is levelled against a member of the International. Any accuser not supporting his accusations with positive proofs will be excluded from the Association as a slanderer.
First published in the Bulletin de la Federation jurasienne Nos. 15-16, August 15-September 1, 1872;
French original
1. We have seen with profound bitterness that the General Council has named the place of assembly of the Congress without consulting the different regional federations;
We have seen with regret that it has named The Hague for the assembly of the Congress, because it is thus impossible for various regions to send the number of representatives they would have been able to send had a more central place been named;
And because tendencies opposed to the General Council have been manifested in the southern regions of Europe, it appears there has been a deliberate intention of causing these regions to have the smallest possible number of representatives at this Congress;
Because of all this the delegates must demonstrate to the Congress that the General Council has violated the principles of justice.
2. Not considering as equitable the principle observed up to the present International Congress of voting according to the number of delegates, we request: that the votes be counted according to the number of those represented by the delegates holding an imperative mandate, which must show the number of individuals who are represented; that the votes of those represented by delegates not provided with an imperative mandate will not count until the sections or federations which they represent have discussed and voted on the questions debated at the Congress.
In order to ensure the implementation of the said principle and that the resolutions of the Congress shall be the true expression of the will of the International Working Men's Association, these resolutions shall not enter into force before two months have elapsed, in which time the sections or federations which have not provided their delegates with an imperative mandate on the questions discussed and also those which have not been able to send delegates will express their vote by publishing it in the newspapers of the International and by taking part in the Regional Council which will be entrusted with this mission.
In the event of the Congress persisting in the traditional system of voting, our delegates will take part in the discussion, but will abstain from voting.
The Belgian Federal Council will be entrusted with counting the votes of the different sections or federations which, because they have not empowered a delegate or have not provided him with an imperative mandate on the questions debated, have to express their opinion.
3. Only the administrative resolutions of the Congresses, sanctioned by the vote of the sections or federations, will be obliging for all members of the International. There will be voting on questions of principle only to show which opinion is so far most accepted; but resolutions on these questions will not be binding.
4. The General Council has no authority whatsoever over the sections and federations. As it is today it should be abolished; its functions shall be those of an intermediary between the different regional federations; for which its activity shall be limited to that of a mere correspondence and statistics centre, leaving it full freedom of initiative to propose to the different regions or to the Congress the solutions which it finds most suitable by reason of the data acquired through correspondence and statistics.
5. The General Council should be located in Brussels until the next Congress.
The Belgian Federal Council will be charged with:
Counting the votes of the different sections and federations which, because they have not sent delegates or because they have not provided them with an imperative mandate on the questions debated, have to express their opinion.
Installing in its functions, after two months have elapsed since the Congress, the General Council which will be elected.
6. The General Council will be composed of two members for each regional federation, who will be nominated directly by the respective federations and can be recalled only by them.
7. The responsibility for our Italian brothers' break with the General Council rests with the latter exclusively; if the Italian members of the International despite this send their delegates to the Congress of The Hague we declare that our delegates will always be on their side so long as they support the banner of revolution as at present.
In the event of the Italians persisting in holding the Congress which they have convened in Neuchâtel either at the same time as, or after the termination of, the Congress of The Hague, our delegates, once they have ended their mission at the Congress, will pass through Neuchâtel in order to take part in the said Congress or to obtain all the necessary data to render an account on their return of all that can be of interest to us concerning this grand and transcendental question.
8. Our delegates shall by all possible means accessible to them secure the unity of the International; but without renouncing in any way any one of the revolutionary principles proclaimed by our Conference and regional congresses.
For this purpose our delegates must come to an agreement with the delegates of the Italian and Jura regions to defend in common the principles which inspire both the regions, inasmuch as they are identical, inasmuch as they are the same.
9. The delegates of the Spanish Federation will procure a copy of the minutes of the sittings of the Congress of The Hague, as also of that of Neuchâtel, so that all the local federations may acquaint themselves with them.
10. They will also procure a copy of the list of subscriptions made to the General Council by all the regional federations, and especially those made by the Spanish Federation, showing all the data and the growth from the time of the Basle Congress until today.
11. Our delegates will bear in mind the following:
It would be desirable to concretise the agenda of the Congress on the different points which are to be debated; because the subject of the revision of the General Rules and Regulations can contain so many and so complicated questions, we point out to them that on all points not foreseen, for the reason already given, in this mandate they must keep to the collectivistic, decentralising, anarchistic and anti-authoritarian criterion, which is the standard for members of the International in our Region, expressed by the congresses of Barcelona and Saragossa and the Conference of Valencia. They must bear in mind the formula adopted by the Conference of uniting Humanity in a free world federation of free associations of agricultural and industrial workers.
12. The delegates of the Spanish Region will observe this mandate in everything and on their return will render an exact account of what they have done, the first two to this Federal Council so that it can in turn pass it on to all the local federations, and the two nominated directly by the Barcelona Federation at the general meeting of the same which will be convened for the purpose, without neglecting to give a written account of their conduct to this Federal Council.
13. The activists of the Federation who have paid their subscription in the course of this month number more than fifteen thousand members of the International.
In the name and by the agreement of the Spanish Regional Federation,
The Federal Council:
The Treasurer, Vicente Rosell, silk weaver
The Cashier, Vicente Torres, bookseller
The Financial Secretary, Vicente Asensi, joiner
Corresponding Secretary for the North, Peregrin Montoro, silk weaver
Corresponding Secretary for the South, Severino Albarracin, primary school teacher
General Secretary for Internal Affairs and Corresponding Secretary for the West, Francisco Tomàs, stone mason
Corresponding Secretary for the East, Cayetano Marti, quarry man
Corresponding Secretary for the Centre, Franco Martinez, dyer
Valencia,
August 22,1872
Published as a leaflet in 1872: Aseciación Internacional de los Trabafadores. Federación Regional Española. Circular, [August 22, 1872];
Spanish original