Marx in Neue Rheinische Zeitung November 1848

The Chief Public Prosecutor and the Neue Rheinische Zeitung

Source: MECW Volume 8, p. 48;
Written: by Marx on November 21, 1848;
First published: in the Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 149, November 22, 1848.

Cologne, November 21. Who takes a legal stand, Oberpräsident Eichmann or the editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung? Who ought to be put in prison, the editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung or Oberpräsident Eichmann? This question is at present awaiting decision by Chief Public Prosecutor Zweiffel. Will the Public Prosecutor’s office, which Zweiffel represents, side with the Brandenburg Ministry or will he, as an old contributor to the Neue Rheinische Zeitung,^[61] take the side of his colleagues? — This question is at present awaiting decision by the public.

The Neue Rheinische Zeitung was pressing for cessation of payment of taxes prior to the decision of the National Assembly; it upheld legality before the legislative power did so. And if this anticipation of legality is an illegality, then for six whole days the editorial board of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung had been taking an illegal stand. Six days Herr Zweiffel could have instituted proceedings, but on the seventh day he would have had to give up his inquisitorial zeal.

On the seventh day, however, when the work of creation had been completed and Herr Zweiffel had celebrated the Sabbath, and the National Assembly had elevated the refusal to pay taxes to the level of law, Präsident Eichmann proposed to Herr Zweiffel to institute proceedings against those who had provoked the refusal to pay taxes. Who provoked the refusal to pay taxes? The editorial board of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung or the National Assembly in Berlin? Whom should Herr Zweiffel arrest: his old colleagues, the deputies in Berlin, or his old co-workers, the editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, or the Prefect, Herr Eichmann? So far Herr Zweiffel has not arrested anyone.

We propose, therefore, that some other Zweiffel should arrest Herr Zweiffel because before the Sabbath he did not arrest the editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, and after the Sabbath he did not arrest Herr Eichmann.