Graham R (Ed.) - Anarchism - A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas Volume One - From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939)

256 / ANARCHISM
volt again because their delusion that the Maderist government was to restore their
land has been dispelled. Like reports from Sinaloa. In the terrible state of Yucatan,
the Mayas are in active rebellion; the reports say that "The authorities and leading
citizens of various towns" have been seized by the malcontents and put in prison.
What is more interesting is that the peons have seized not only "the leading citizens,"
but still more to the purpose have seized the plantations, parceled them, and
are already gathering the crops for themselves .
. . . [TJhe main thing, the mighty thing, the regenerative revolution is the
REAPPROPRIATION OF THE lAND BY THE PEASANTS. Thousands upon thousands of
them are doing it.
Ignorant peasants: peasants who know nothing about the jargon of land reformers
or of Socialists. Yes: that's just the glory ofit!Just the fact that it is done by ignorant
people; that is, people ignorant of book theories; but not ignorant, not so
ignorant by half, of life on the land, as the theory spinners of the cities. Their minds
are simple and direct; they act accordingly. For them, there is one way to "get back to
the land": i.e., to ignore the machinery of paper landholding (in many instances they
have burned the records of the title deeds) and proceed to plough the ground, to sow
and plant and gather, and keep the product themselves.
72. Praxedis Guerrero: To Die On Your Feet (1910)
Praxedis Guerrcro (1882- 191 O)joilled 1I11: PU,J in 1906. He was from a wealthy MexicanJamily,
but renounced his inheritance, went to the United States, and became a worker. He was
one of the few PLM leaders to evade arrest and was thus able to return to Mexico in December
i 9 f 0 as part of an armed group of revolutionaries determ ined to bring about the social revolution.
He was killed on December 29, 1910 during a battle with Mexican troops. Guerrero's
anarchism is based on a theory of environmental determinism common among 19th century
and early 20th century thinkers. Tile fo cus of revolutionary activity must therefore be on
transforming the environment, rather than attacking individuals. The following selections
from his writings, originally published in the PLM paper, Regeneracion, have been translated
by Ward S. Albro and are taken from his book, To Die On Your Feet: The Life, Times,
and Writings of Praxedis Guerrero (Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1996).
They are reprinted here with the kind permission of the publisher.
Puntos Rojos (Socialist Aphorisms)
SOW A LITTLE SEED OF REBELLION AND you will determine a harvest of freedoms.
Passivism and mildness do not imply kindness, any more than rebelliousness
implies savagery.