V. I.

Lenin

366

To:   I. RUDIS-GIPSLIS [2]

Dear Comrade Rudis, I recently met a highly respected and valuable Lettish
Social-Democrat, [1] who told me about the “Left opposition” in the Lettish party. He said you
belonged to it.

I do not know to what extent the opposition which you and your friends
are raising to the Lettish C.C. is a really “Left opposition”. I am sure,
at any rate, that if you are doing so, you are acting in good faith.

In any case, the leftward shift on the part of the Lettish C.C. is an
obvious fact. Proof of this is provided by the resolution in No. 32 of
Trudovaya Pravda and the refusal to vote in Brussels for the
tainted, absurd resolution covering up the liquidators. The Polish
opposition voted for ; in my opinion this is either treachery or a
dirty “game” or diplomacy of the worst kind.

The 4th District in Riga is said to stand for closer relations with our
C.C.?

Is that true?

Are the majority of Lettish workers for it or not?

I think it would be important to acquaint the Lettish workers with our
“14 conditions”. I sent them to Herman. I don’t think he would refuse to
let you have them for a short time to read.

Further, it would be important to make clear our attitude in principle
towards federation. We are against it in principle . We
are for democratic centralism. In that case, why preserve the old rotten
“agreement” of 1906 with the Lettish Social-Democrats, which retains the
federative clauses, such as that providing for a delegation from the Lettish C.C. to the general C.C.?? Even the Poles
in Stockholm (1906) rejected this federalist clause in principle.

I do not believe that the class-conscious Lettish workers stand for
this clause—it facilitates manoeuvring, diplomacy, clannishness. It is
harmful to the work.

Further. Is it true that there is vacillation among the class-conscious
Lettish workers on the question of the need for combating the separatism of
the Bund and cultural-national autonomy?? It would be very deplorable!

Has the resolution of our summer (1913) meeting on the national
question been translated into Lettish and published? [3]

The Polish opposition in Brussels adopted the liquidators’ stand and
“Tyszka’s” play at diplomacy: a backheel for the Pravdists, a blow at
them from behind, and separation from them “in the face of Europe”. They
now want, in the Tyszka way, to uphold the federalist clauses in agreements
and “cover up” the nationalism of the Bund (cultural-national autonomy),
defend the rotten (for the liquidators useful) “lawfulness” of the Party
up to 1912 (i.e., prior to the Party’s re-establishment against
the liquidators).

I hope the Letts will not follow this path. I would like to know your
opinion and that of your Riga friends, of the 4th District and others.

All the best. My regards, Yours, Lenin