Dear Friend,
Here you have the manuscript; give it to Uhlig if he is coming to Weimar. If he does not come, send it to him as soon as possible, wherever he is staying. I have, as you will see, put in much colour in copying.
Now my wishes with regard to its appearance.
The article, according to its plan, is intended for Brendel's Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. Whether Brendel will have the courage to grapple with the consequences of its appearance in his paper, I know not; but if he will, he must give the article in one number, all and complete. He might, if necessary, give a quarter of a sheet to it.
If this is too much out of his usual course, I should be most loth to allow it to appear in two numbers; but that would be the utmost: I entirely forbid further cutting up. If Brendel will not do this, the article might be printed as an extra supplement — just as is done with paid loose insertions — and given with the next number. For this I will see to the costs.
If he won't do anything with it, Uhlig must try to bring it out as a special pamphlet. In this case, some change must be made at the beginning of the article.
The name "R. Freigedank" must pass muster. That all the world will guess I have written the article does not matter; yet by an assumed name I avoid useless scandal, which would inevitably occur if I put my own name as signature. If the Jews should happen unfortunately to treat it as a personal matter, they would come very badly off; for I am not in the least afraid, even if M. should get me upbraided with his former favours, which, in such a case, I should expose in their true light. But, as said, I do not wish to bring about a scandal.
I ask for six copies. About the matter itself no more correspondence; choose one of the ways indicated, so or so, according to Uhlig's judgment.
Farewell, and do not fall among cheats, especially if your people should not come to W. The day after to-morrow I go up the Rigi. Peps is barking loudly.
Your
R. W.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 13