Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/327

 appear upon the stage of events and determine the activity of the state, there is no proletarian revolution. In this sense, the proletarian revolution goes to the heart of things; it means a fundamental change, the reversal of relations in bourgeois society, where the "intellectuals" order and the masses obey. The masses in Russia had become conscious, determining the activity of the government and of the society. Against this new dispensation of things—surely "the end of the world!"—the petite bourgeoisie revolted in dismay and anger, refusing to have anything to do with masses that did not pay it homage. All the pettiness, all the arrogance, all the hypocrisy of the bourgeois system of things, which to the bourgeoisie itself are simply instruments of oppression, become in the souls of the petite bourgeoisie principles, ideals, aspirations of eternal fitness and beauty. "Since the masses refuse our tutelage, let us leave the masses to their fate!"

But the masses are determined, aggressive, uncompromising; Revolution has set loose their latent energy and initiative; they reveal unsuspected reserves of heroism, capacity and daring: the intelligentsia will yet submit to the authority of the masses. …

The moderate Socialists were equally active against the regime of the revolutionary workers and peasants; in fact, they constituted a merciless, inexorable opposition. The Mensheviki, including George Plekhanov, I. G. Tseretelli, and even the "internationalist" Martov, issued declarations branding the Revolution of November 7 and the assumption of power by the Soviets as a "crime." The Social-Revolutionists of the Right, during the week after the Bolshevist coup issued proclamations against the Bolsheviki. These moderate Socialists adopted the policy and attitude of the petite bourgeoisie, proving a relentless enemy of the proletarian revolution. Lenin had said that the institution of the Soviet Republic would pave the way for the peaceful, creative struggle of parties within the Soviets; but the moderates rejected the peaceful struggle within the Soviets, of party against party, program against program: they resorted to conspiracy, force, terrorism against the revolutionary proletarian government of the Soviets. The "old guard" of the struggle against Czarism, animated by the ideology of the petite bourgeoisie, resorted to similar tactics: Vladimir Burtsev conspired as in the old days; Boris Savinkov organized terrorist plots against the Soviet authority as he had organized terrorism against Czarism; Tschaikovsky declared at the Railway Workers' Convention in January that terrorism would be used against the Bolsheviki as in the days of Czarism. Nor was this mere threatening: terror-