Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

480V. I. LENINan item in the programme. That is essential for a “Europeanparty. But as to actually fighting against the gagging of thepress, openly exposing the notorious venality of the influentialorgans of the Russian press—it would he ludicrousto expect that of Mr. Guchkov or of Mr. Milyukov. On theother hand, Mr. Guchkov did tell the truth about the connectionbetween domestic and foreign policy, that is, heblurted out the true motives for the comic scene which theDuma enacted on February 27.“The fact,” he announced, “that we are moving swiftlytowards pacification and tranquillisation should show ouropponents that the attempts by Russia to defend her interestswill this time definitely succeed.” The Black Hundredsand Octobrists applaud. Of course! They, if anybody, understoodonly too well from the very beginning that thecrux of the question under discussion and of the government’ssolemn declaration made through the medium of Mr. Izvolskylay in proclaiming the counter-revolutionary policy ofour Muravyov-hangmen 171a to be a matter of pacification andtranquillisation. Europe and the whole world had to beshown that the “external enemy” was confronted by a “unitedRussia”, which was pacifying and tranquillising a handfulof rebels (a mere hundred million or so of peasants andworkers!) to ensure the success of the “attempts to defendher interests”.Yes, Mr. Guchkov managed to say what he wanted to say,what the combined landlords and capitalists wanted himto say.Professor Kapustin, a “Left” Octobrist, the hope of theCadets and mainstay of the advocates of peace between societyand the authorities, hastened to follow in the footstepsof Guchkov, whose policy he seasoned with unctuous liberalhypocrisy. “God grant that the fame [the Duma’s] of oursaving public money becomes widespread.” Fifty thousand ayear for an ambassador—is that not a saving of a clear tenthousand rubles? Is that not a “splendid example” whichwill be “set by our highest dignitaries, who are alive to thegrave and distressing moment which Russia is livingthrough”?... “We are faced with the prospect of drasticreforms in the most diverse spheres of our country’s life,and large funds are needed for that purpose.”