V. I. Lenin

Reply to L. Martov {2}

Thatsame issue of Russkaya Zhizn {3} carries Comrade L. Martov’s feuilleton in which he
returns to our editorial in
No. 2 {1} and, ignoring the explanation given by the group’s committee on this
matter, administers justice and metes out punishment.

Whatdoes Comrade Martov wish to achieve by this strange step? If he
wants to challenge us to fight in this plane—in the plane of
personal attacks and suspicions—he is making a big mistake. We are not
going to follow him. We have a great deal too many essential
differences over which we shall have to conduct a principled
struggle in the group, in the press and in the Party, to allow ourselves to
be pushed into the dirt road of petty scores and squabbles. Good luck,
comrade, you can travel that road alone; we are not coming. We are glad to
let you have the honour of putting in the last word which is, in fact, the
very limit.

---
Notes:
{1}
See present edition, Vol. 12, pp. 156–60.— Ed .

{2}
The note was published in the “Press Review” section in No. 7 of the
newspaper Novy Luch (New Ray) on February 27, 1907, in reply to
Martov’s feuilleton “This Is the Limit”, which appeared in No. 48 of
Russkaya Zhizn on February 25 (March 10), 1907.

p. 196

{3}
Russkaya Zhizn (Russian Life)—a legal Left Cadet daily published in St. Petersburg from January 1 (14), 1907. From its No. 38 of
February 14 (27), the paper passed into the hands of the Mensheviks. Among
those who wrote for it were P. B. Axelrod, F. I. Dan, V. I. Zasulich,
L. Martov and G. V. Plekhanov. It was closed down on March 2 (15).

p. 196