The Denver Jewish news., 1924-02-07
Russia and Lenin
BY VLADIMIR GRossMAN

The gloomy, fanatlcai ana eNalteu ;
the Gods truth" seeking Russia
that was Lenin.
Vladimir lIyitch Ulianov Lenin, born
and reared upon the shores of the Vol
IA. in the silent. dull and melancholy
Simbursk. in the regions where the
Russian spirit is sated with sectarian
ism. with heavy and serious cares and
the peculiar Slavic mysticism. the dim
inutive figure of the great man will
his black eyes and Hat forehead sur
mounting II dark. Mongolian comten-
ance-thnt is Russia "The holy, Slav-
ic Russia ~
They grew up under the identical
sky; they We're cut from the same
piece; they worshipped the same God,
gether. You cannot speak of the one
without touching the other. When one
speaks of Russia. lie is at the same
time speaking of Lenin. while if one cs-
says to speak of Lenin he will be speak
ing of Russia as well, of the country
that produced the only, true-believing
Cars of all the Russians.
History does not know of any social
upheavals that were innocent of cop
ious streams of human blood. Each and
every religious or social advance has
been born in the travail of many beings
and in rivers of their blood. Even the
Home of the Free" founded by the
Puritans in the new world. was un-
able to avoid bloody and prDtracted
Civil War. And yet, after all. one has
grave doubts as 10 whether the history
Of any of the modern peoples knows
as much of blood. and has received
such bloody education. as the Russian
people.
The Russian throne, symbol hf the
cnslavcd CZarist Russia. literally wad-
cd in human blood like unto none other
on the surface of the globe.
| our history books tell us the great
story of Ivan the Terrible WHO in n
tit of anger. murdered his own son
But we know next TO nothing of the
similar deed of Peter the Great toward
the runaway crown prince Alexis how
| he plotted for many years to lay hands
len him. how he had him tried and sen
fenced to death. and how he tortured
| him TO the very death with his own
| hand All this was done out of love
for his native land, out of fear that
| his son as his successor might undo
his own beloved work. his. reforms.
II is only in ancient Rome. and in
ers autocrats who in any manner re-
scmblcd this Strong-wiiled barbarian
who put to the stake orthodox Chris
l tans and. with fire and sword brought
deeds he was duly crowned 10y his
God-fearing people with the title of the
/ Great Reformcr"
We find that the Empress EliZabctl
ordered the stranslin. of Prince John
/ The Empress Catherine similarly or
dered Peter the Third 10 be stranglcd.
Alexander the First, Napoleon's arch
enemy. savior of Europe and Til,
! Blessed" as the Russians have named
him. was waiting in the next room
calmly for the Strangling of his father
/ officers; and, upon receiving TIE joyful
news. he Immediately went to the cas-
tie and took the reins of government
our of the relaxed hands of his deat
| parent. Later on he took to prayer
and fasting. and plunged himself int,
the wilds of mysticism.
Nicholaus the First ascendcd i'll,
throne in December. 1924, in the mids
of flowing rivers cf blood. He rulct
his country with an iron hand for n
ycars. bringing ruin upon it. and freet
II only when he committed suicide by
poison.
Alexander the Second. dubbed "Th,
] I.iberDtor." ended his day when a boml
was hurled at him in the streets o
Pctrograd.
/ Alexander the Third died hy th'
4 Grace Of God, of alcoholism while hi;
/ brother, Serge AlcNandrowitch. fell h!
u bomb in the streets Of Moscow.
A still more terrible and for NOR,
dreadful death aver took the last ant
most unfortunate one. of that dynasty
Nicholas the Second, who lies hurict
together with his sickly heir apparent
somewhere i'll the wastes of Siberia.
Is not this the history of dyuast!
dreadful death over took the last ant
n Sophocles could not possibly invcn
II more terrible and tragic one.
And even so. and following in th,
identical paths. is the struggle of tha
people for their liberation.
The people of Russia have woven F.;