412 



INTERNATIONALE, THE. 



diate cause of the foundation of the society, 

 and deputies were sent by the working-men of 

 Paris to consult with those in London, as to 

 the steps to he taken in common for the assist- 

 ance of Poland. In addition to the political 

 aim vvhich had brought the assembly together, 

 social affairs generally were also made the 

 subjects of discussion, and, a union of the 

 laboring-classes appearing calculated to ad- 

 vance the interests of all, the society was ac- 

 cordingly formed. They elected a provisional 

 central council, consisting of representatives 

 from various nationalities, and London was 

 selected as their place of residence. This 

 committee afterward received the title of 

 General Council. They were intrusted with 

 the central administration of the society about 

 to be founded, with the publication of an in- 

 augural address, in which an idea should be 

 given of their plan of operation, and with the 

 drawing up of the provisional statutes. The 

 Italian members of the council, who were par- 

 tisans of Mazzini, presented a copy of an ad- 

 dress and provisional statutes written by the 

 latter. In the address he had developed his 

 well-known political programme, and espe- 

 cially denounced the conflict between the 

 classes; the latter had a strong centralizing 

 tendency. Both were rejected, however, and 

 the council voted to accept the inaugural ad- 

 dress and the provisional statutes drawn up 

 by Charles Marx, who had been elected to 

 membership in the Central Council at the 

 meeting in St. Martin's Hall. These reports 

 received the definitive sanction of the Congress 

 at Geneva in 1866, and the council itself has 

 ever since been confirmed in its office. Marx's 

 address contained a carefully-drawn manifesto 

 to the working-classes of Europe. Supported 

 by the facts, published by the English Govern- 

 ment in the "Blue Book" of 1863, in regard 

 to the condition of English laborers, it de- 

 nounced severely the encroachments of the 

 upper classes. This address and the statutes 

 are to be considered as the principal base of 

 the society. The statutes maintain that the 

 emancipation of the laboring-classes must be 

 accomplished through their own exertions ; 

 that the economic dependence of the laborer 

 on the monopolist for the implements of labor 

 is the foundation of bondage in every form ; 

 that, therefore, the economic emancipation of 

 the laboring-classes should be the great aim, to 

 which every political movement should be sub- 

 ordinated, as a mere assistance; that, hitherto, 

 all efforts directed toward this end have been 

 frustrated for want of unity between the work- 

 ing-classes of the several countries ; that the 

 emancipation of labor should extend to all coun- 

 tries of modern civilization, and that the revi- 

 val of the agitation among the laboring-classes 

 should demand an immediate alliance between 

 the various separated movements. The first In- 

 ternational "Working-men's Congress therefore 

 declared that the International Society, and all 

 societies and individuals connected with it, 



should acknowledge truth, justice, and morals, 

 as the foundation of their conduct in their in- 

 tercourse with one another and with all their 

 fellow-men, without respect to color, creed, or 

 nationality. The many points of the statutes 

 of the society are as follows : The society is 

 established for the purpose of forming a cen- 

 tral medium of union and cooperation between 

 the societies of working-men existing in differ- 

 ent countries and pursuing the same aim, 

 which is, the protection, elevation, and com- 

 plete emancipation of the laboring-classes. 

 The name of the society shall be, " The Inter- 

 national Working-men's Society." The General 

 Council shall consist of workmen belonging to 

 the countries represented in the International 

 Society, and the necessary officers shall be 

 selected from its own members. The Congress 

 shall determine the seat of the General Coun- 

 cil from year to year, and elect its members, 

 the latter rendering an account of its transac- 

 tions at the yearly conventions of the General 

 Congress. It shall form a medium of commu- 

 nication between the various cooperating soci- 

 eties, in order that the workmen of every 

 country may receive information of the move- 

 ments of their fellow-laborers in other lands, 

 and also to facilitate uniform action of the as- 

 sociated societies, in the event of international 

 disputes. The members of the International 

 shall direct their efforts toward the union of 

 the disconnected societies and corporations 

 in their respective countries. The various 

 branches and sections must be guided by the 

 character of their respective localities, in the 

 establishment of regulations necessary for the 

 laboring-classes. Every individual professing 

 and defending its principles is eligible for mem- 

 bership in the society, and every branch is 

 responsible for the integrity of its members. 



The first Congress was to have been held in 

 September, 1865, at Brussels ; but, the Belgian 

 Government having placed difficulties in the 

 way, a preliminary conference was called at 

 London, and Geneva appointed as the seat of 

 the next general conference in September, 

 1866. This Congress was in session from the 

 3d to the 8th of September, and 60 delegates 

 were present, consisting principally of Swiss 

 and Frenchmen, of whom 45 were represent- 

 atives of 25 sections of the society, and 15 

 of 11 cooperative societies. The number of 

 members present was estimated at 60,000. 

 The time was considered unfavorable, the 

 Austro-Prussian War having paralyzed the 

 activity of the society in Germany and Italy, 

 and the French law in regard to societies pre- 

 venting a convention of more than 20 persons, 

 thus interrupting the election of delegates. 

 Jung, a watch-maker, and member of the Lon- 

 don General Council, was elected president, and 

 the transactions were conducted in English, 

 French, and German. The Congress sanc- 

 tioned the provisional organization of the so- 

 ciety, in accordance with which, a general 

 secretary, with a weekly salary of two pounds 



