Page:Edward Aveling - Wilhelm Liebknecht and the Social-Democratic Movement in Germany (1896).djvu/6



"Heartiest good wishes and sincerest congratulations on seventieth birthday."

"The comrades of Independent Labour Party of Great Britain send loving greetings and look forward with keen interest to your visit."

"Congratulations and all good wishes from the Edinburgh Socialists to their beloved old soldier of the revolution."

"The Social-Democratic Party of the Netherlands sends the heartiest good wishes to the lighter for freedom on his seventieth birthday."

"The Socialist Deputies of Italy know that they are conveying the feelings and wishes of all comrades in Italy when they greet the grand old fighter, and wish him still many years during which he may carry on his work of propaganda, organisation and education, in the fight for the international freeing of the proletariat."

"To our beloved old soldier Social-Democrat, and fraternal greetings on his seventieth birthday."

"A thrice thundering hurrah to our untiring fighter Wilhelm on his seventieth birthday."

"Hail to thee, trusty and inflexible fighter on behalf of the proletariat and humanity."

To these manifold messages Liebknecht was only able to answer through the medium of the paper that he edits, the Vorwärts. "To the thousands, I may say hundreds of thousands, who have during these last few days borne witness to their sympathy with, trust in, and love for, me, I herewith return my heartfelt thanks, as I shall be able to return them personally to only a few. I will prove my gratitude by continuing to do my duty to the best of my ability. The greatness of our party, which embraces the thinking and acting proletariat of all countries, and bears the future in its bosom, has by this occasion been brought home really overwhelmingly to my consciousness and understanding. Here there are no separating