V. I.

Lenin

Against the Riot-Mongers [1]

TO THE WORKERS, SOLDIERS, AND THE WHOLE POPULATION OF PETROGRAD

This document is a redraft of the appeal To the Soldiers and Sailors , and was adopted by the Petrograd City
Conference of the R.S.D.L.P. (Bolsheviks) on April 14 (27), 1917
during the discussion, out of order, of Point 6 of the agenda, namely,
“The Hounding Campaign Against Pravda”.

Citizens! The paper Russkaya Volya , founded by the tsar’s Minister Protopopov and despised even
by the Cadets, is carrying a riot-provoking campaign against our
Party, against the paper Pravda , against our Comrades Lenin and Zinoviev ,
against the Petrograd [Soviet] Committee of our Party housed in the Kshesinskaya mansion. We have received a
number of reports, written as well as oral, concerning threats of
violence, bomb threats, etc.

From the very first days of the [February] revolution, the capitalists, masking as “republicans”, have been
trying to sow enmity between the workers and the soldiers. First they
lied about the workers wanting to leave the army without bread. Now
they are trying to inflame feeling against Pravda .

We appeal to the sense of honour of the revolutionary workers and
soldiers of Petrograd, and declare:

We not only have not been guilty, directly or indirectly, of any
threats of violence against individuals, but, on the contrary, we have
always maintained that our task is to explain our views to all the
people, that we regard the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, elected by all the workers and the soldiers, as the
only possible revolutionary government.

On the very next day after their arrival, the comrades,
members of different parties, who passed through Germany,
made a report to the trusted representatives of all the workers and soldiers, namely, to the Executive Committee
of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. On this Executive
Committee were Chkheidze, Tsereteli, Skobelev, Steklov, and others.

Comrades! These leaders of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’
Deputies differ with us on many questions pertaining to the
organisation of the state. They could be anything but biased in our
favour.

Now what did the Executive Committee do?

In its Izvestia
No. 32, for April 5, 1917, it published the full report dealing with the passage through Germany.

This report gives all the facts, and the names of the foreign
socialists from two neutral countries, Switzerland and Sweden, who
checked our protocols.

And what was the decision of the Executive Committee? Did it express
condemnation or even disapproval of the fact that Lenin and others
travelled through Germany?

It did not. This is how the editors of Izvestia , in the same issue, reported the resolution of the Executive Committee:

“ Having heard the report of Comrades Zurabov and Zinoviev, the
Executive Committee decided to take the matter up immediately with the
Provisional Government and to take steps towards securing the
immediate return to Russia of all emigrants, irrespective of their
political views and their attitude towards the war. The results of the
negotiations with the government will be published in the near
future.— Editors .”

As anyone can see, not a single word is said here against
Lenin and his comrades. What we have is a warning to the
Provisional Government, a decision to take steps to prevent
it from hindering return to Russia.

Following this, Martov’s telegram and Trotsky’s arrest in Britain have shown that Milyukov
is either powerless against Britain and France, who keep their own
internationalist socialists imprisoned, or that he does not want to take serious measures.

The Germans and Russians have made exchanges dozens of times
throughout the war. Kovalevsky, member of the Council of State, was
exchanged for an Austrian, etc. For wealthy people such exchanges have
been arranged by the governments many a time. Then why doesn’t the
present government want to arrange such an exchange for the emigrants?
Because it wants to prevent a number of fighters from taking part in
the revolutionary struggle.

What does Russkaya Volya do, and papers like Rech and Yedinstvo
that follow in its footsteps?

They continue their hounding campaign, thereby inciting ignorant
people to acts of violence against individuals. They refuse to publish either the report or the resolution of the Executive
Committee.

The Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’
Deputies has been given the names of various socialists who
verified and approved every step taken by the emigrants in
connection with their journey. They are the French socialists
Loriot and Guilbeaux, the Swiss socialist Platten, the
Swedish socialists Lindhagen (Mayor of Stockholm), Carleson, Striom, Nerman, the German socialist Hartstein
of Karl Liebknecht’s group, the Polish socialist Bronski.

By acting this way Russkaya Volya , Rech and
Yedinstvo are aiding and abetting the dark forces which
threaten violence, bombs, and riots.

Comrades, soldiers and workers!

We warn you against these gentlemen of Russkaya Volya ,
Rech and Yedinstvo , and declare over and over again that we stand for explaining to the whole nation the views
of all the parties, we stand for respecting the Soviet of
Soldiers’ and Workers’ Deputies.

If the Provisional Government, if Rech , if Mr. Plekhanov
are displeased with the way the Executive Committee of the
Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies has acted, why do they not say so openly? Why do they not demand a re-examination of the case? Why are they afraid to reprint what was
published in Izvestia No. 52? Why? Because they are out
to sow discord!

If violence in any form is resorted to, we shall place the
responsibility on the editors and contributors of Russkaya Volya, Rech, Yedinstvo, and others, who have dared
to keep the report and the resolution of the Executive Committee
out of the press, and to carry on an insidious propaganda.

The paper Dyelo Naroda , to which Minister A. F. Kerensky
is an active contributor, has already pointed out that the
methods used by these newspapers are helping the riot-mongers
(Dyelo Naroda No. 23).

We want the Milyukovs, Amfiteatrovs, Plekbanovs and Co. to know
that if their baiting leads to violence they will be the first
to suffer the consequences.

Down with riot-mongering! Down with the heroes of baiting and
deception, who suppress the resolution of the Executive Committee!

Comrades, soldiers and workers! You will not allow the people’s
freedom to be marred by riots! You will see to it that the
decisions of your Soviet of Soldiers’ and Workers’ Deputies are
respected.

Central Committee of the R.S.D.L.P.
Petrograd Committee of the R.S.D.L.P.