Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/179

 their Socialist leaders), about the decision we have taken to fight now the so-called "revolutionary defense" group; they will read all this and it will inject new strength into their revolutionary internationalism.

Much is expected from him who has accomplished much. There is no land on earth which is as free as Russia is now. Let us make use of this freedom not to prop up the bourgeoisie or the bourgeois "revolutionary defense," but to organize a third International, bold and honest and proletarian, the kind which Liebknecht would have, an International which will set its face boldly against all traitors, all social-patriots and the vacillating people of the "center."

After what I have just said, I need not waste any words to explain that a union of the Social Democrats of Russia is impossible. Rather stay alone, as Liebknecht did, that is, remain with the revolutionary proletariat, than to entertain even for a minute any thought of a union with the Mensheviki, with Cheidse and Tseretelli, who are willing to join hands with the Potresofs who voted for the war credit in the Executive Committee of the Council of Workers' Delegates, and who have gone over to the "revolutionary defense" group.

Let the dead bury their dead.

Whosoever wants to help hesitating souls should stop hesitating himself.

I am coming to the last question which is: what shall we call our party? We would call it the Communist Party, using Marx' and Engels' terminology.

We are Marxists and our policy is based upon the Communist Manifesto which has been perverted and disregarded by the "Social Democracy" on two important points:

1.—As workingmen have no country, the "defense of the fatherland" in an imperialistic war is a betrayal of Socialism.

2.—The Marxian theory of government has been perverted by the second International.

The term "Social Democracy" is unscientific, as Marx ex-