"I wish you
well, comrades and citizens," he said. "There are some Cadets
walking around outside. You arrested our Socialist peasants-why not
arrest them?"
This was the signal for a debate of excited peasants. It was
precisely like the debate of soldiers of the night before. Here were
the real proletarians of the land....
"Those members of our Executive Committee, Avksentiev and the rest,
whom we thought were the peasants' protectors-they are only Cadets
too! Arrest them! Arrest them!"
Another, "Who are these Pianikhs, these Avksentievs? They are not
peasants at all! They only wag their tails!"
How the crowd rose to them, recognising brothers!
The Left Socialist Revolutionaries proposed a half-hour
intermission. As the delegates streamed out, Lenin stood up in his
place.
"We must not lose time, comrades! News all-important to Russia must
be on the press to-morrow morning. No delay!"
And above the hot discussion, argument, shuffling of feet could be
heard the voice of an emissary of the Military Revolutionary
Committee, crying, "Fifteen agitators wanted in room 17 at once! To
go to the Front!"hellip;
It was almost two hours and a half later that the delegates came
straggling back, the presidium mounted the platform, and the session
recommenced by the reading of telegrams from regiment after
regiment, announcing their adhesion to the Military Revolutionary
Committee.
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