V. I.

Lenin

To:   ROZALIA ZEMLYACHKA

To Zemlyachka from Lenin, private

I have received your huffy letter and hasten to reply. You have taken offence
for nothing. If I did say hard things, I meant them lovingly, really, and with
the reservation:
provided Lyadov’s information was correct. The tremendous work you have
done to win over fifteen committees and organise three conferences [2]
is highly appreciated by us, as you could have seen from the preceding
letter concerning the Northern Conference.
[1]

We have not taken and are not taking a single step without you. The young lady who went to
St. Petersburg promised to use her personal connections to obtain money, and we
wrote to N. I.
[3] for you, and not at all through any desire to
ignore you (the inscription “private” was intended solely as a
safeguard against our enemies). The misunderstanding about our letters to
N. I. we shall explain to her immediately. To the devil with N. I., of course.

Many thanks to the committees for sending addresses. Please send some
more. Gusev has gone, Lyadov will be going when we have money.

Lyadov set out the matter of the organ in Russia some what incorrectly, and I
beg your pardon if I lost my temper a bit and offended you.

As regards the open action of the Bureau I shall not argue this point any
more. A fortnight, of course, is a trifle. Believe me, I fully and positively
intend to reckon with the opinion in Russia on all points, and I only ask you
seriously: for heaven’s sake, inform me more frequently about this opinion. If I am guilty of succumbing to the mood of the Bolsheviks abroad, I
can hardly be blamed, since Russia writes rarely and exasperatingly little. I
fully accept the choice of the Northern
Conference, [4] and, believe me, I do so right willingly. Try to raise money and write telling me that you
are not angry.

Wholly yours, Lenin

---
Notes:
[1]
See p. 283 of this volumne.— Ed .

[2]
This refers to the three conferences of the Bolshevik local committees (the
Southern, the Caucasian and the Northern) held in September–December 1904,
which went on record for the immediate convocation of the Third Congress of
the R.S.D.L.P. ^^(see Note 249)^^

[3]
This refers to Fyodorova-Shtremer, N. I. —secretary of the
St. Petersburg Committee. In December 1904 she adopted a conciliatory stand
in regard to the Mensheviks.

[4]
This refers to the election of the Bureau of the Majority Committees for
convening the Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.