V. I.

Lenin

The liberal Frankfurter Zeitung was highly indignant at the
consistently revolutionary resolution adopted by the Moscow students, who
demanded that a constituent assembly be convened not by the tsar, not by the
State Duma, and not even (let not the comrades of the new Iskra get
wrathful at this!) by a “democratic organisation of the people”,
but by a provisional revolutionary government. In this connection the liberal
German stockbrokers bewailed the immaturity” of the students, etc. This
very same paper now carries a telegram about Trubetskoi’s death
( Abendblatt , October 13) and remarks: “It is possible that they
had treated him (. Trubetskoi) to a scene at the Ministry of Public Education.”

Poor Trubetskoi! To aim at liberty for the people and to die of a
“scene” in a tsarist minister’s antechamber.... We are prepared to
admit that this is too cruel a punishment even for a Russian liberal. Only,
would it not be better and more dignified, gentlemen, for the supporters of
popular liberty to discontinue all dealings with the government of butchers and
spies? Is it not better to fall in a straightforward, honest, open street
fighting—fighting which enlightens and educates the people—against
vipers without whose destruction genuine liberty is impossible, rather than to
die of “scenes” while con versing with the Trepovs and their contemptible
lackeys?

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