..."
Then Trotzky, full of fire: "I wish you welcome, comrades peasants!
You come here not as guests, but as masters of this house, which
holds the heart of the Russian Revolution. The will of millions of
workers is now concentrated in this hall.... There is now only one
master of the Russian land: the union of the workers, soldiers and
peasants...."
With biting sarcasm he went on to speak of the Allied diplomats,
till then contemptuous of Russia's invitation to an armistice, which
had been accepted by the Central Powers.
"A new humanity will be born of this war.... In this hall we swear to
workers of all lands to remain at our revolutionary post. If we are
broken, then it will be in defending our flag...."
Krylenko followed him, explaining the situation at the front, where
Dukhonin was preparing to resist the Council of People's Commissars.
"Let Dukhonin and those with him understand well that we shall not
deal gently with those who bar the road to peace!"
Dybenko saluted the assembly in the name of the Fleet, and
Krushinsky, member of the _Vikzhel,_ said, "From this moment, when
the union of all true Socialists is realised, the whole army of
railway workers places itself absolutely at the disposition of the
revolutionary democracy!" And Lunatcharsky, almost weeping, and
Proshian, for the Left Socialist Revolutionaries, and finally
Saharashvili, for the United Social Democrats Internationalists,
composed of members of the Martov's and of Gorky's groups, who
declared:
"We left the _Tsay-ee-kah_ because of the uncompromising policy of
the Bolsheviki, and to force them to make concessions in order to
realise the union of all the revolutionary democracy.
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