Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-12

ATLANTA TRIaW EEkLX JOURNAA
when the revolution reached its extreme
limit" says Mrs. Williams" not only all
manifestations of a rebellious spirit, but
mere freedom of thought became an object
Of hatred for him. So for some time Rus
STA was converted into graveyard. Life
came to standstill. The site was cleared
for the erection of the new structure, for
the creation of the promised Communist
State. Lenine, however, proved powerless
to build anything whatsoever. 1t may be
that in order to attempt any constructive
craftsmanship at least some spark of faith
formula, THE spirit OF destruction is the
spirit of creation" was brilliantly refuted
by Lenine."
II these views appear tnged with national
prejudice, consider one other, that of a gift
ed fellow-countryman OF the Soviet chief, M.
Victor Chernov. Russian scholar and man
of affairs who was minister in Kerenskys
ill-starred government. knew Lenine at first
hand and knows as one to the manner born
the nation that was the stage for his red
drama In a recent issue of Foreign At
fairs" published in New York. NJ. Chernov
describes Lenine's intellect as energetic,
but cold - above all, an iron, sarcastic
and cynical intellect" Sentimentality he
condemned as the objectionable sin; and all
moral considerations in politics struck him
as sentimental. To succeed, no matter how,
was the only virtue; to fail, from whatever
cause, was the only crime. Note especially
these strokes from portrait painter who
knew him well: "Lenine was often accused
of not being and of not wanting to be an
honest adversary But then the very idea
of an honest adversary was to him an alb
thing that might be made use Of now and
then iesutically in ones own interest; but
to take 1t seriously was silly. A defender of
the prolstariat is under an obligation to put
aside all scruples In dealings with the foe.
To deceive him Intentionally, to caIumniate.
him, to blscken his name, ali this Lenine
considered as normal. In fact, it would
be hard to exceed the cynical brutality with
which he proclaimed all this. Lenine's con-
science consisted in putting himself outside
the boundaries of human conscience in all
dealings with his foes and in thus reject
ing all principles of honesty he remained
honest with himself"
Whatever the future may think Of Lenine's
theory, there would seem to be little doubt
as to what 1t will think OF his character. In
every land and every age strong men. Crap
plfns with great issues, call forth bitter an
tagonisms as well az arGSnt loya1ties, so
much SO that history sometimes must wait
generations for a calm and just verdict.
Moreover circumstances are often so COM
plex and human motives so mixed that it be-
comes puzzling to say whether the mingled
yarn of a far.ous career shows more of good
or OF i'll. We are prone to classify the public
men of our own day, along with those OF his
that satisfies prejudice and saves thinking
For all this, however, there are certain fun
damentsls of character that stand proclaimed
above the ttickest dust and loadest din OF
controversy; certain grandeurs of spirits like
William of Orange, or Washington, or Lee
that shine as unmstakably and as superior
to challenge as the stars of heaven. Such
men we call not merely great, but noble; and
IT matters little how the storms OF an hour
beat about them; they are secure for the ages
What had Ler o in common with these?
Nothing. He was their antithesis-cynical,
destructive, faithless to humanitys final
hopes. So 1t s that portraitists, studying
him from different schools OF politics and
different corners of thu world give US pic
lures of him which, how different soever in
details, are curiously alike in effect.
OIUZ