The most interesting acquaintanceship I have struck up here is that of Colonel Lapinski. He is without doubt the cleverest Pole - besides being an homme d'action [man of action] - that I have ever met. His sympathies are all on the German side, though in manners and speech he is also a Frenchman. He cares nothing for the struggle of nationalities and only knows the racial struggle. He hates all Orientals, among whom he numbers Russians Turks, Greeks, Armenians, etc., with equal impartiality.... His aim now is to raise a German legion in London.

The writer must earn money in order to be able to live and to write, but he must by no means live and write for the purpose of making money.

Religion is the opium of the masses.

Since only what is material is perceptible, knowable, nothing is known of the existence of God.

Luxury is the opposite of the naturally necessary.

The history of all previous societies has been the history of class struggles.

Although gold and silver are not by nature money, money is by nature gold and silver.