... It was 10.40 P. M.
Dan, a mild-faced, baldish figure in a shapeless military surgeon's
uniform, was ringing the bell. Silence fell sharply, intense, broken
by the scuffling and disputing of the people at the door....
"We have the power in our hands," he began sadly, stopped for a
moment, and then went on in a low voice. "Comrades! The Congress of
Soviets in meeting in such unusual circumstances and in such an
extraordinary moment that you will understand why the _Tsay-ee-kah_
considers it unnecessary to address you with a political speech.
This will become much clearer to you if you will recollect that I am
a member of the _Tsay-ee-kah,_ and that at this very moment our
party comrades are in the Winter Palace under bombardment,
sacrificing themselves to execute the duty put on them by the
_Tsay-ee-kah."_ (Confused uproar.)
"I declare the first session of the Second Congress of Soviets of
Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies open!"
The election of the presidium took place amid stir and moving about.
Avanessov announced that by agreement of the Bolsheviki, Left
Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviki Internationalists, it was
decided to base the presidium upon proportionality. Several
Mensheviki leaped to their feet protesting. A bearded soldier
shouted at them, "Remember what you did to us Bolsheviki when _we_
were the minority!" Result-14 Bolsheviki, 7 Socialist
Revolutionaries, 3 Mensheviki and 1 Internationalist (Gorky's
group).
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