RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 5, 31 January 1923, Page 16
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RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
Its Place in History
DEBS' BRILLIANT APPRECIATION With' a lack of vision cr a true realisation of what the revolution of the Russian workers really means to the whole working class movement, quite a number of workers fa.il to recognise the real significance of the Russian RevohKicn. Instead of a whole-he-arted appreciation of the stupendous and heroic achievements of tne Russian workers, short-sighted Labourites in various countries yet groaning and crushed under the iron heel oi" capitalism actually seek to apetogis-o for or belittle the mightiest achievement of the workers recorded . history. AN INSPIRING DEFENCE In answer to th : s ignorant attitude towards their Russian fellow workers comes a statement by that great working dags "header, Eugene Debs. With a full and clear vision cf the supreme importance and achievement ■of the Russian workers, Debs outhuiastieally hails the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Government as "the crowning glory of the Twentieth century.*' This testimony from one 'of the world's workers' most honour| ed propagandists and leaders is the more significant because Debs h;as refused to identify himself with the Communist Party. a nd publicly pledged his allegiance to the American. Socialist Party, which in many important respects is directly hostile to the ; Russian Soviet Government. But! Debs with his passionate fervour for j the workers' cause has the faculty of! rising far above petty standards of; measurement, of sifting the wheat from the tares, and to fully realise; that the Russian Soviet Government I with all its faults and mis takes j "stands forth to-day and for all time; as the most splendid promise .and I fulfilment cf the world Labour move-i ment. A "ENTHUSIASTIC -ALLEGIANCE" Debs, says:—l have reserved fori the last the infinitely important question of the Russian revolution to which I have given my enthus'sistic j allegiance from its inception and to' which I now pledge my unqualified I support until this stupendous historic; event, is triumphantly consummated.; It matters not what, its mistakes have been, her what may be charged again- j st it, the Russian revolution, in what ! It t?_pres„e-s for the Russian people | and in what it port-ends for all nations, j ! « the greatest, most luminous and far-reaching achievement in the en- j ; tiro sweep of human, history. Con-! sidering the unimaginable opposition,] the violent and implacable hostility,' the endless plots and conspiracies,! the malice, hatred, and brutal revenge! of the whole capitalist world, Includ-! ing its armed invasions and assaults,*' that the revolution has encountered, j it ia the marvel of the ages that It! has heroically withstood all attempts; to undermine and destroy it. and that it is to-day farther advanced and more certain of achieving its high destiny than at any time since it first shook the capitalist pirates of the world out of their dream of universal empire. I have said that Lenin as he incarnation of- tho Russian revolution is the greatest thing that came out.
of the world-war, and that is still my [positive conviction. SUBLIME SELF-SACRIFICE The Russian revolution under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky Is the historic beginning of the international revolution that is destined to sweep capitalism fend militarism from the face of the earth. The Russian comrades to-day are fighting heroically to free, and starving stoically to feed the workers of the whole world. What they h»a,ve suffered and endured in their sublime struggle for human liberty and for the progress of the ago and the happiness, of future generations, is heyound human speech and will be chronicled only in the ultimate liberation of mankind from the cruelty and crime of j&ll the ceurturies in the scroll of time. The Soviet Government is the beginning of the self-government" cf the people throughout the world.* It has withstood the combined assaults of all its foes from without and from within and its red fia£ of freedom still floats >ta triumph in the face of all tho black flags of capitalism and piracy that surround and threaten it. COKSECJIATED A*K'l> INVINCIBLE The Soviet Government, the lusly child of the revolution, baptised in its precious blood and consecrated to its h'Vgh ideals, is invincible. It stands and will stjnnd' monumental of the revolutionary spirit in which it was born, of the cruel despotism it has conquered and destroyed, of tho valorous defenders, and cf the peace, freedom, arid happiness it is destvned t c achieve for the whole of miaakind. Ail hail then tlie Russian revolution, and the Soviet Government, the crowning glory of ihe twentieth century! Let us all unite, East and West, North and South, over all the earth, and pledge our loyal and unqualified support to our Russ'fcii comrades until the irresistible revolution they have inaugurated has ran its triumphant course and achieved the peace and freedom cf the world!
