coöperation of the masses at the more important points and among the more sympathetic portions of the population. In view of this, every member of the party who is in contact with the people must strive to take a position that will enable him to defend the interests of the peasants, give them aid when they need it, and acquire celebrity among them as an honest man and a man who wishes them well. In this way he must keep up the reputation of the party and support its ideas and aims.
5. The organization and consummation of the revolution. In view of the oppressed and cowed condition of the people, and of the fact that the Government, by means of partial concessions and pacifications, may retard for a long time a general revolutionary movement, the party should take the initiative, and not wait until the people are able to do the work without its aid.
6. The electioneering canvass before the summoning of the Organizing Assembly. However the revolution may be brought about — as the result of an open revolution, or with the aid of a conspiracy — the duty of the party will be to aid in the immediate summoning of an Organizing Assembly, to which shall be transferred the powers of the Provisional Government created by the revolution or the conspiracy. During the election canvass the party should oppose, in every way, the candidacy of kuláks[1] of all sorts, and strive to promote the candidacy of purely communal people.[2]
Letter sent by the Revolutionary Executive Committee to Alexander III., after the assassination of Alexander II.
March 10, 1881.[3]
Your Majesty: Although the Executive Committee understands fully the grievous oppression that you must experience at this moment, it believes that it has no right to yield to the feeling of natural delicacy which would perhaps dictate the postponement of the following explanation to another time. There is something higher than the most legitimate human feeling, and that is duty to one's country — the duty for which a citizen must sacrifice himself and his own feelings, and even the
- ↑ Kulák means literally a clenched fist, and is a term applied hy the peasants to petty capitalists, such as money-lenders, usurers, middle-men, etc., who "squeeze" them in their times of distress.
- ↑ That is to say, people from the mirs, or village communes.
- ↑ Alexander II. was assassinated March 1st (Old Style) and this letter was sent to Alexander III. nine days later, when some members of the Executive Committee were still at liberty.
