Marx in Neue Rheinische Zeitung May 1849

The Venal Baseness of the Kölnische Zeitung


Source: MECW Volume 9, p. 436;
Written: by Marx on May 13, 1849;
First published: in the Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 297 (second edition), May 13, 1849.


Cologne, May 13. We draw our readers’ attention to the recent issues of the Kölnische Zeitung, in particular to today’s issue, that of Sunday, May 13.

Probably never before has the “most vulgar artlessness” gone so closely hand in hand with venal baseness as in the latest leading articles and reports of our admirable contemporary.

Only a few days ago, at the congress of the Rhenish municipal councils,[356] we saw the owner of the Kölnische Zeitung, Herr Joseph Dumont, hastily rising to support the decisions adopted there. Today we see the same man, through his henchman Brüggemann, expressing in every line the most brutal pleasure at the failure of the revolts which were precisely the consequence of those decisions of the Rhenish municipal councils.

In return, however, the Kölnische Zeitung has also the good fortune to be imposed on the Rhenish towns, together with the state of siege, as their sole newspaper.

Truly, what is being simultaneously imposed on these towns is blood anddirt!