V. I.

Lenin

February 28, 1905

Dear Comrades, We have just received the news that St. Petersburg, Tula, Moscow, the
North, Nizhni-Novgorod, the Caucasus, and Odessa have declared for the Congress,
and other places will, of course, follow suit. The Central Committee is said to
have gone on record for the Congress. Naturally, no one will believe the
C. C. now. Everyone says it may as well come to the Congress, since everyone has
been invited, but it is the Bureau and the Bureau alone that is convening the
Congress. There is hardly any need to ask why there is not a grain of confidence
left in the C.C. (even the few completely isolated voices raised in its favour
were immediately retracted). Everybody understands that the C.C. is only
deceiving people and playing the diplomat.

It is extremely important that preparations for the Congress be started
immediately and that zealous efforts be made to enlist the co-operation of all
circles, including district, propaganda, and factory circles, in short, all,
especially workers’, circles. We speak of this also in
Vperyod , No. 8, [1] (out today). It would be very useful to have workers attend the Congress. (In
our opinion admittance on a consultative voice basis should be accorded as
liberally as possible. Thus, it is only a question of funds. Spread your
agitation wider. We are convinced that it is possible to find workers who will
collect from 150 to 200 rubles to cover the expenses of a delegate; special
donors for the same purpose can also be found among the intellectuals.) Important questions will be discussed at the
Congress: organisation, the attitude to wards the periphery organisations, the
insurrection, arming of the workers (installation of dynamite workshops), agreement with the Socialists-Revolutionaries for an uprising, support of the
revolutionary peasant movement, and many other issues. Reports on work among the
troops and the peasantry are of the utmost importance. Make the widest possible use of contacts with officers, students, and so on for the Congress. The
Congress will be asked to substitute Lenin’s formulation of Clause 1 of the
Rules for Martov’s, and to extend the rights of Party and
Party-connected organisations. This will cover many elements of
revolutionary democracy. Let each and every one prepare most actively for the
Congress.

Hearty greetings, Lenin

St. Petersburg has begun to send us copies of the minutes of workers’ meetings
held in various districts. An example worth imitating. It is our earnest request
that the workers themselves write, and keep on writing, to Vperyod.

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Notes:
[1]
See pp. 177-80 of this volume.—Ed.