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absence of life； action and simplicityliterary and argumentative artisans
and repulsive coquetry with them： ‘Feuerbach is a bourgeois；' and the
word ‘bourgeois' grown into an epithet and repeated ad nauseum； but all of
them themselves from head to foot； through and through； provincial
bourgeois。 With one word； lying and stupidity； stupidity and lying。 In this
society there is no possibility of drawing a free； full breath。 I hold myself
aloof from them； and have declared quite decidedly that I will not join
their communistic union of artisans； and will have nothing to do with it。''
The Revolution of 1848 led him to return to Paris and thence to
Germany。 He had a quarrel with Marx over a matter in which he himself
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confessed later that Marx was in the right。 He became a member of the
Slav Congress in Prague； where he vainly endeavored to promote a Slav
insurrection。 Toward the end of 1848； he wrote an ‘‘Appeal to Slavs；''
calling on them to combine with other revolutionaries to destroy the three
oppressive monarchies； Russia； Austria and Prussia。 Marx attacked him in
print； saying； in effect； that the movement for Bohemian independence
was futile because the Slavs had no future； at any rate in those regions
where they hap… pened to be subject to Germany and Austria。 Bakunin
accused Mars of German patriotism in this matter； and Marx accused him
of Pan…Slavism； no doubt in both cases justly。 Before this dispute； however；
a much more serious quarrel had taken place。 Marx's paper； the ‘‘Neue
Rheinische Zeitung；'' stated that George Sand had papers proving Bakunin
to be a Russian Government agent and one of those responsible for the
recent arrest of Poles。 Bakunin； of course； repudiated the charge； and
George Sand wrote to the ‘‘Neue Rheinische Zeitung；'' denying this
statement in toto。 The denials were published by Marx； and there was a
nominal reconciliation； but from this time onward there was never any real
abatement of the hostility between these rival leaders； who did not meet
again until 1864。
Meanwhile； the reaction had been everywhere gaining ground。 In May；
1849； an insurrection in Dresden for a moment made the revolutionaries
masters of the town。 They held it for five days and established a
revolutionary government。 Bakunin was the soul of the defense which
they made against the Prussian troops。 But they were overpowered； and at
last Bakunin was captured while trying to escape with Heubner and
Richard Wagner； the last of whom； fortunately for music； was not
captured。
Now began a long period of imprisonment in many prisons and
various countries。 Bakunin was sentenced to death on the 14th of January；
1850； but his sentence was commuted after five months； and he was
delivered over to Austria； which claimed the privilege of punishing him。
The Austrians； in their turn； condemned him to death in May； 1851； and
again his sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life。 In the Austrian
prisons he had fetters on hands and feet； and in one of them he was even
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chained to the wall by the belt。 There seems to have been some peculiar
pleasure to be derived from the punishment of Bakunin； for the Russian
Government in its turn demanded him of the Austrians； who delivered him
up。 In Russia he was confined； first in the Peter and Paul fortress and then
in the Schluesselburg。 There be suffered from scurvy and all his teeth fell
out。 His health gave way completely； and he found almost all food
impossible to assimilate。 ‘‘But； if his body became enfeebled； his spirit
remained inflexible。 He feared one thing above all。 It was to find himself
some day led； by the debilitating action of prison； to the condition of
degradation of which Silvio Pellico offers a well…known type。 He feared
that he might cease to hate； that he might feel the sentiment of revolt
which upheld him becoming extinguished in his hearts that he might come
to pardon his persecutors and resign himself to his fate。 But this fear was
superfluous； his energy did not abandon him a single day； and he emerged
from his cell the same man as when he entered。''＇14＇
＇14＇ Ibid。 p。 xxvi。
After the death of the Tsar Nicholas many political prisoners were
amnested； but Alexander II with his own hand erased Bakunin's name
from the list。 When Bakunin's mother succeeded in obtaining an interview
with the new Tsar； he said to her； ‘‘Know； Madame； that so long as your
son lives； he can never be free。'' However； in 1857； after eight years of
captivity； he was sent to the comparative freedom of Siberia。 From there；
in 1861； he succeeded in escaping to Japan； and thence through America to
London。 He had been imprisoned for his hostility to governments； but；
strange to say； his sufferings had not had the intended effect of making
him love those who inflicted them。 From this time onward； he devoted
himself to spreading the spirit of Anarchist revolt； without； however；
having to suffer any further term of imprisonment。 For some years he
lived in Italy； where he founded in 1864 an ‘‘International Fraternity'' or
‘‘Alliance of Socialist Revolutionaries。'' This contained men of many
countries； but apparently no Germans。 It devoted itself largely to
combating Mazzini's nationalism。 In 1867 he moved to Switzerland； where
in the following year he helped to found the ‘‘International Alliance of So…
cialist Democracy；'' of which he drew up the program。 This program gives
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a good succinct resume of his opinions：
The Alliance declares itself atheist； it desires the definitive and entire
abolition of classes and the political equality and social equalization of
individuals of both sexes。 It desires that the earth； the instrument of labor；
like all other capital； becoming the collective property of society as a
whole； shall be no longer able to be utilized except by the workers； that is
to say； by agricultural and industrial associations。 It recognizes that all
actually existing political and authoritarian States； reducing themselves
more and more to the mere administrative functions of the public services
in their respective countries； must disappear in the universal union of free
associations； both agricultural and industrial。
The International Alliance of Socialist Democracy desired to become
a branch of the International Working Men's Association； but was refused
admission on the ground that branches must be local； and could not
themselves be international。 The Geneva group of the Alliance； however；
was admitted later； in July； 1869。
The International Working Men's Association had been