MARTI AND MARXISM
6.3 MARTI'S PERSONAL PERCEPTION AND STANCE
A few days after the death of Karl Marx in March 1883, a memorial meeting took place in his honor at the Cooper Union Hall in New York City (see JM 1883/1999b). Following his attendance of this historic event which hosted a large assembly of the US and international labour movements, Marti wrote 'The Memorial Meeting in Honor of Karl Marx' (JM 188311999b). His commentary was published in La Nadon, Buenos Aires in May of the same year.
Comparatively brief, the piece nonetheless provides some valuable insight into Marti's perception of Marx the man, his ideas, and followers.
'The Memorial Meeting' firstly describes Marx in deferential terms as, 'ardent reformer', 'uniter of men of different peoples', a 'tireless, powerful organizer' (JM 1883/1999b, 44). Marti also expresses awareness of the link between Marx's
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functionality, that is , the political inference of his thought, and theoretical implications, commenting he was not only 'a titanic stimulator of the wrath of European workers', but similarly "showed great insight into 'the causes of human misery and the destiny of men' (JM 188311999b, 44). In line with this he says, 'Karl Marx studied the methods of setting the world on new foundations, and wakened those who were asleep, and showed them how to cast down the broken props' (JM 188311999b, 43-44).
But Marti sees Marx perhaps more significantly, as a icon of morality 'the virtuous man' (JM 1883/1999b, 43). This already is reflected in the opening lines.
which launch both his high regard for Marx and the moral logic behind it: Marx 'deserves to be honored for declaring himse(lon the side of the weak' (emphasis added, JM 1883/1999b, 43). As he later in the piece substantiates. Marx was 'a man driven by the burning desire to do good' (empha<;is added JM 1883/1999b.
44).
Marx's expansive, all-encompassing worldview similarly finds in Marti a great measure of appreciation. For Marti, The International embodies an internationalist outlook, something that greatly impacted on the destiny of all the workers of the world. Hence, on the occasion of remembering Marx. Marti observes that 'all nations honour him', with the masses present consisting of the 'valiant worker', from 'farm worker', and 'blacksmith', to 'seamen' (JM 188311999b, 43). The piece furthermore shows Marti's familiarity with and respect for Marxist-aligned scholars of his time, such as Schevitch; Swinton; Johann Most; Millot; McGuire and Henry George. The meeting's intercontinental spirit finds some measure of expression also in the gathering's relative gender parity. As Marti discerns.
'among so many men, there are many women' in attendance OM I 883!1999b.
44).
While Marti's admiration for Marx in the piece is not in dispute. there exists no real evidence in it either of his support for, or adherence to. Marxist views as such. Marti offers merely a personal account draped in flowery literary skill of an event he greatly admires without aligning himself with the ideological postures of the occasion. The piece does in effect project a degree of criticism of both Marx
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and the gathering, which, as will be seen, evokes some confusion. In the first instance Marti writes, Marx, 'being in a hurry', 'his understanding' was 'somewhat clouded' (JM I 88311999b, 44). Substantiating this view, Marti holds that Marx
did not see that children who do not have a natural, slow and painful gestation are not born viable, whether they come from the bosom of the people in history, or from the wombs of women in the home (JM 188311999b, 44).
Marti's figurative expression it appears, suggests that Marx's ideas and theoretical implications are either too advanced or perhaps even unworkable for the proletariat class, that possibly those who are fighting or must still engage in the struggle, be it for independence, social fairness, or equality, are far from fully perceiving and adopting Marx's thinking.
Sustaining this is Marti's belief that possible solutions to the social and political issues of his time should essentially emanate from his national milieu. In Nuestra America he repeatedly highlights this conviction, reinforcing his pursuance of Cuba's total and complete independence in nationalistic terms:
the able governor .... must know the elements that make up his own country, and how to bring them together, using methods and institutions originating within the country, to reach that desirable state where each man can attain self-realization (JM 189111999g, 113).
In Nuestra America Marti reiterates the idea that the structure of government - a 'government that must originate in the country' (ibid.) must be consistent with the 'rules appropriate to the country' since good governance' is nothing more than the balance of the country's natural elements' (ibid). While these ideas are broadly consistent with general political ideals inherent in independence struggles, it is his conviction that 'the only route to freedom lies in knowing one's country and to govern it with that knowledge' (JM I 89111999g, 114) that goes
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directly against Marx's internationalist worldview. As his stark propensity to nationalism clearly shows:
The European university must bow to the American university.
The history of America, from the Incas to the present, must be taught in clear detail and to the letter, even if the archons of Greece are overlooked. Our Greece must take priority over the Greece which is not ours (JM 189111999g, 114).
More than a decade after writing 'The Memorial' Marti penned 'The truth about the United States'. Apart from launching a scathing attack on the vices of US society, the piece also resumes the above line of thinking. In it Marti makes the comic assertion that 'a newborn baby is not given the wisdom and maturity of age merely because one glues on its smooth face a mustache and a pair of sideburns' (JM 1894/1999m, 174). 'Monsters', writes Marti, 'are created that way, not Nations' (ibid.). He goes on to explain that
people have to live of themselves, and sweat through the heat .... One must suffer, starve, work, love and study, even in vain, but with one's own individual courage and freedom . . . . In this way a man can form opinions, with glimmers of reason (JM
1883/1999b, 175, emphasis added).
The above instances, as do others, visibly affirm Marti's entrenched patriotic tendencies which clearly border on a belief system rooted in nationalism. It is not too much to deduce that since Marxism originates from foreign soil, this in itself makes it of little or no political value to Marti.
Returning to 'The Memorial Meeting in Honor of Karl Marx', in the second instance and arguably more pertinently, Marti's concluding lines leave behind his customary rousing script, closing the piece rather on a Jow note that similarly induces some perplexity. Making reference to the 'rousing ambiance' generated by the 'choral societies' in attendance, Marti writes, 'Music sounds; choirs resound; but note that these are not the sounds of peace' (emphasis added JM 1883/1999b, 45). In this instance Marti refers either to great upheavals, which of
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necessity must follow for the establishment of social fairness, or to the notion that the Marxist tradition as a whole is one of conflict.