Eleanor Marx Aveling 1896

Procession of Children for the Hyde Park Peace Demonstration


Source: (letter) Justice, 11 July 1896, p.6;
Transcribed: by Ted Crawford;
Public Domain: this document is free of copyright restriction.


Dear Comrades, – All who were at the Zurich International Socialist Congress will agree upon one point, if upon no other, viz., that the most beautiful and most impressive part of the beautiful and impressive procession arranged by the Swiss was the children. I know it is far more difficult to arrange anything of the kind here. Stilt, I think we might manage something, though we do take our pleasures so sadly, and the London distances are so appalling.

Could not, e,g., all the S.D.F. children (and all others we could get) be brought to 387 Strand, and thence marshalled to the Embankment and the Park? The smaller ones would have to go in brakes, the bigger ones could walk.

The Church always tries to catch the youngsters. Let us learn from the enemy. Childish impressions are the strongest of all. To have taken part in such a procession and such a demonstration will more to the little ones than we old folk generally realise. And it is these children who will have to carry on the fight and win it when we have – for a change – gone over to the majority.

Let us take all the little lads and lasses we possibly can, to Hyde Park on July 26.

Yours fraternally.

Eleanor Marx Aveling.