Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/58

 should, to combat the subversive agitation, undertake an agitation of its own, not only in the press but also in the military units."

If we dispose of the personal issue by placing alongside of this resolution the declaration of an article in Isvestya of April 17 against the "dishonorable and reprehensible campaign of villification," we «hall at once see what political division is actually based on the question under consideration.

The resolution declares that the propaganda of Lenin is "just as harmful as any counter-revolutionary propaganda from the Right."

Let us see wherein is the difference between (1) the counter-revolutionary propaganda from the Right; then (2) the propaganda in favor of the Provisional Government and supporting it; and finally (3) the propaganda of the Bolsheviki.

The Right desires the overthrow of the Provisional Government and a restoration of the monarchy.

The Provisional Government has promised to act in agreement with the Petrograd Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Delegates.

Our propaganda is: all the power of government must pass to the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', Peasants', etc., Delegates, alone, as these Soviets are the representatives of the great majority of the people. To attain this end we must spread "understanding" of the situation, so that the majority of the people may realize the necessity of this transfer of power to the Soviets.

The Right, therefore, is for the power of the monarch. The capitalists are for power in the hands of capitalists, the Provisional Government being a government of capitalists. The Bolsheviki want to convince the majority of the people that all power should belong to the Councils of Workers, Soldiers and Peasants.

It is more than clear that the statement stigmatizing our agitation as "just as harmful as any counter-revolutionary propaganda from the Right" is incorrect even from the standpoint of those who advocate action in agreement with the Provisional Government. For these advocates themselves claim to base their position on the majority of the people! How then can they designate as "just as harmful as the Right" our propaganda which is persuading the majority to seize all power? This is a manifest absurdity.

The Soviet of Soldiers' Delegates will hardly be able to defend very long this attitude of their Executive Committee. We are firmly convinced that the majority of the people will not call our attitude "just as harmful as any counter-revolutionary propaganda from the Right"