Published immediately after the events, a son’s letter to his mother describing the insurgent streets of Warsaw during the 1905 Revolution, where attempts to incite anti-Jewish violence and drown the revolution in the blood of pogroms had to be resisted by a united working class. The Polish working class was deeply divided politically with the three main Socialist Parties, the Jewish Bund, the PSP and the SDKPiL, all having several factions o their own. Accompanying the letter, the texts of which are also translated, were flyers distributed during those heady days from The Warsaw Committee of the Polish Socialist Party, Warsaw Workingmen’s Committee of the Socialist Party, the Railroad Workers’ Union, Rosa Luxemburg’s Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, to army recruits from the Polish Socialist Party, and the The Journeymen and Laborers Union of Warsaw.

‘The Revolution in Warsaw’ from The Weekly People. Vol. 15 No. 39. December 23, 1905.

IN RUSSIA AND POLAND, INSPIRED BY SOCIALISM, WIPES OUT RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED.

Gentiles and Jews Embrace Each Other and Labor for Their Mutual Defense and Liberation–A Letter and Documents That Breathe the Spirit of Awakened Working Class Solidarity, Power, Enlightenment and Determination.

Warsaw, Nov. 21, 1905.

Dear Mother: Having just now received your letter of November 9th, and not wishing to leave you long with out an answer, I reply at once. I shall endeavor to describe all the incidents of which I have been an eye-witness. On the 20th of October, a general political strike was begun all over the empire. All factories stopped, all railroads, street cars, cabs, offices, banks, water works, gas works, telephones, in short, everything stopped. The workingmen in the water and gas works were replaced by soldiers of the engineer corps. So passed the first week of the strike, comparatively in a quiet way. At last on October 31st was proclaimed the Manifesto of the Constitution, which accorded to the people the inalienable citizenship rights of habeas corpus, freedom of speech and press, and equality for all–a paper manifesto.

The martial law, exclusion laws, manifold reprisals, under which the greater part of the population in the Kingdom (Poland) and the whole empire suffered, all this was not abolished. It was still permitted with impunity to arrest and kill people on the streets. On November 1st, from early morning on, workingmen and general public began to congregate on the streets, preparing for a demonstration, especially on Marshalkovska street, but the soldiers were constantly dispersing them. I was on the street from early morning. All of a sudden, about noon, we were notified by the police captains and army officers that demonstrations are permitted, that shouting is allowed to one’s heart’s content; but that, in case the soldiers are attacked or government property assailed, the masses would be dispersed by armed force. It seemed as if all the city population rushed out into the streets inside of one minute. On Marshalkovska street, about 1 p.m., between ten and twenty thousand people, Socialist workingmen, students and others, gathered together. This multitude, after listening to speeches by several agitators, unfolded red flags and singing “The Red Banner” (Polish Socialist anthem) and shouting: “Down with autocracy!” “Long live liberty!” “Long live the republic!” moved forward. On Bielanska street they were met by the members of the “Bund” (Jewish Socialist workingmen). One cannot imagine this meeting. The Jews and the gentiles embraced and kissed one another, and taking one another by the hand, all moved toward the Governor-General’s palace.

Darkness was fast falling before they reached the palace. The building was perfectly dark and no sound issued therefrom. We stood before the palace, listening to the speeches, and shouting so loud, that the whole edifice shook: “Down with the Czar’s henchman!” “Down with the tool of Czarism!” They shouted so loud that the Governor-General must have heard, no matter in what deep recess of the palace he might have hidden himself.

While we were marching, the soldiers gave us the right of way, saluting the red flags and taking off their caps. Seeing that the multitude was orderly, the authorities purposely ordered larger detachments of the military not to permit the people to pass their ranks, but instead of that to break through the through the throngs of the multitude. We let them go through, warning all not to touch any of them, so as not to give them any cause for attack and slaughter. We understood the tricks of the government’s agents. The military passing through our throngs, saluted the red banners. Having met several police captains, we shouted: “Down with the police!” “Long live the military!” But the police only took their caps off and answered: “Heretofore we were your enemies, but now we are your brothers!” Yes, “brothers”! But a few hours later they gave orders to shoot at their “brothers”! Later on we returned to the Marsholkovska street, where the multitude began to quietly disperse. The streets were festively illuminated. It was about 8 p.m. I went to the Cit Hall place, where a vast crowd demanded the release of all political prisoners. The Chief of Police released a few hundred. But we demanded the release of all. He refused. Then the members of the Jewish Socialist Party (the “Bund”) shouted: “If you don’t release them, we will storm and destroy the City Hall”. All of a sudden from Bielanska and Wierzbowa streets a few hundred cossacks rushed out and began to charge the crowds. But nobody moved. Seeing that one of the officers shouted an order: “Cut them down!” the cossacks took out their sabres, threw themselves upon the crowds, and an awful slaughter began. All began to run. I, luckily, passed through the cossacks’ rows unscathed and ran home. There you have an illustration of our “constitution”! While in some quarters of the city demonstrations were not disturbed, in others the crowds were dispersed with arms. Many persons fell dead, but none of our family or acquaintances suffered.

Next day the Governor-general issued an order, that on account of acts of violence, which occurred the previous day, all gatherings were forbidden. What acts of violence? He must have been probably mistaken; he must have meant acts of violence committed by the cossacks upon unarmed people. The Constitution was revoked. In Russia proper it was worse; there thousands fell. Organized attacks were engineered upon Jews, students, Socialists. A few days later martial law was proclaimed in all-Poland. The army is partly in revolt. There were cases in Warsaw, of soldiers refusing to shoot upon the people. An amnesty was proclaimed. What amnesty, you will find out by reading several manifestos, which I enclose herewith. They tried here also to start a Jewish massacre, but did not succeed. The organization for “self-defence” is very strong here. I shall send you soon daily papers, describing recent events. The general strike was interrupted, but not for long, only until December 17th, and then all will stop. We will see, who will be victorious! Have patience and everything will be all right; we will get all we want; we will mete justice upon those who for so many years have murdered and tortured us. So long then. Don’t worry. With God’s help, nothing will harm us. I kiss you and embrace you a hundred times.

Your Loving Son.

[The below documents, being revolutionary leaflets, accompanied the letter.]

I. Proletarians of All Countries, Unite!

We want liberty, factories and land! Fellow workingmen!

To the horror of outrages, lately committed by the Czar’s Government upon the population of Warsaw, another rascally war cry is added: “Beat the Jews”! Although this war cry does not find any response, for the Warsaw people, fighting with its own blood for liberty, has nothing but contempt for mouths which have polluted themselves by this war cry, nevertheless, it behooves us most energetically to protest against those who in their ignorance or rascality try to incite violence against the Jews. We say ignorance, for the Russian Government would gladly hail such disorders, to which so many times it tried to incite the debased part of the Russian people.

There is no “black hundred” among the Polish working people, that would rise against their Jewish brethren; not one in our ranks would listen to the whisperings of rascally individuals, who would help the government to crush down the heroic and triumphant efforts of the working people.

Comrades: Let everyone of you try to counteract the manifestations of this rascally agitation against those who, together with us, belong to the fighting proletariat of the world.

Down with anti-Semitism! Long live the brotherhood of all free peoples!

The Warsaw Committee, Polish Socialist Party “Proletariat”. Warsaw, November 5th, 1905.

II. Fellow workingmen!

Attention! Let us defend ourselves!

The Czar’s henchmen want to organize in Warsaw anti-Jewish riots.

For this purpose they released from the prisons all the thieves and robbers. They spread false rumors about abominations supposedly committed by Jews, expecting that under the influence of such rumors the ignorant crowds will be incited to murder and pillage.

In this way the rascally Government attempts to drown in blood our sacred struggle for freedom,

So it happened lately in Kieff, Odessa, Rostoff and several other cities.

So yesterday several suspicious characters tried to storm a store on Nalewki street (in the heart of Jewish quarters).

Attention, comrades! It is a new venture of pickpockets and cut-throats, who not so long ago attacked class-conscious workingmen; it is a new attempt to drown in blood and to bring into discredit our revolutionary struggle.

Comrades: In the name of the welfare of our Socialist movement, in the name of solidarity of all proletarians, in the name of brotherhood of all nations, don’t let them rob us of our victory!

Wherever people gather in crowds, let us enlighten the ignorant, let us enlighten our unenlightened brethren, let us warn them of the abominable intrigues of the rascally Government! We must not permit the attacks upon the Jews, we must not permit that they be robbed. Let us defend them when they are attacked. Let us arm ourselves to the best of our ability.

Let all class-conscious workingmen in the Jewish quarters organize themselves against the thieves and robbers; let our Jewish citizens, oppressed by the blood-thirsty Government, find a defender in every class conscious workingman! Let us do our best to spoil the rascally plans of the Czar’s rule! Let us crush all attempts to create anti-Jewish riots!

Attention!

Long live the workingmen’s solidarity

Long live Socialism!

The Warsaw Workingmen’s Committee of the Socialist Party.

Warsaw, Nov. 4th, 1905.

III. A resolution adopted at the Railroad Workers’ Convention in Poland.

At the public convention which took place on October 31st, 1905, in the car-shops of the Vienna Railroad, the railroad workers of the Kingdom of Poland unanimously adopted the following resolution:

The Czar’s manifesto of October 30th, 1905, does not give us any guarantee that his promises will not remain empty words; the manifesto may prove to be but one of the manouevres of the blood-thirsty Government, it is but one more effort to crush to the earth the working people’s revolution by a concerted action with privileged classes. One real guarantee of the good faith would be the immediate proclamation of complete and universal amnesty to all so-called political prisoners, without any exception; the abolition of martial law and re-enforced defense, and the creation of a people’s militia.

Further steps in this direction should be the convocation of legislative assemblies on the basis of universal, equal, secret and immediate suffrage, without distinctions to sex, nationality and religion, with a separate constitutional assembly for the Kingdom of Poland, together with the assurance to the working people of an eight hour working day and a true labor legislation with an insurance for old age.

The universal strike will continue; only then, when all the doors of political prisons will be open and the return of all the exiles and emigrants will be assured, and when martial law will really be abolished, only then we will consider the return to work.

The Central Strike Committee of the Railroad Workers’ Union, in the Kingdom of Poland.

Warsaw, October 31st, 1905.

IV. Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania.

The Czar’s Constitution.

Workingmen! The Czar gave a constitution, but the doors of political prisons are still closed; the military still occupy the streets; martial law and re-enforced defense are still not abolished; the rule by governmental thieves and murderers is still in existence, and none of the felons is being prosecuted by courts of law; the repressive laws are still in force. The Czar gave the Constitution, but even yesterday on the streets of Warsaw and all over Russia the soldiers still attacked and shot down defenceless people.

The Czar gave a Constitution, for he expects to fool the working people in that way, for he expects that the people will be satisfied with that, and the whole governmental power, the army, the administration, the courts of justice will remain in the hands of the Czar. The people COMPELLED the Czar to give a constitution with the aid of the only weapon it possessed heretofore, namely, the general strike. The Czar counts upon it that the people will quiet down and give up its weapon.

Workingmen! Disillusion yourselves! If we will permit them to rob us of this weapon, if we give up the general strike and demonstrations, we will have to depend upon the clemency of the Czar’s henchmen.

While the people are unarmed, while the Czar’s Government still remains unvanquished and not under foot, we must not give up the only weapon we possess, the general strike and demonstrations. Long live the Revolution!

Long live the democratic republic! Long live the general constitution with universal, immediate, equal and secret suffrage.

Long live the autonomy of our land!

Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. November 1st, 1905.

After reading the above pass it to others.

V. Fellow Recruits!

In all the country, in the land of all nationalities, suffering under the Czar’s yoke, the storm is approaching. In all the boundless areas all railroads are stopped. In many cities all workingmen left their work. The flame of the revolution spreads with lightning celerity. Tremendous mass meetings and demonstrations take place everywhere. All along the line ferments the merciless struggle with the Czar’s regime. At such a moment takes place the enlisting of new recruits! At such a moment, when the struggle is great, the Czar–as every year–wants to add to his accursed army the best forces, the bloom of our youth! Fellow recruits! Don’t report, don’t go to the army. Let the strike of the recruits be added to the strike of workingmen. Let the Czar see that everybody refuses to obey him in everything, that nobody wants to support his criminal regime, that nobody wants to be a tool in his hands!

The Czar’s regime must die of exhaustion of power. It is necessary to pound at it incessantly without stopping, to deny it all means of existence. IT IS A CRIME TO SUPPORT THE CZAR’S REGIME BY REPORTING TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY.

Fellow recruits; You are a part of the people, the blood of its blood, and bone of its bone. Your place is in the people’s ranks, not in the ranks of the Czar! Down with the Czar’s army!

Long live the general strike! Long live the independent democratic republic!

Long live Socialism!

Central Labor Committee of the Polish Socialist Party. (100,000).

Warsaw, Oct. 30th.

VI. To the Citizens, Journeymen and Laborers.

On account of the prohibition issued by the authorities against the convention and street demonstration of journeymen and laborers, the following protest was sent to Count Witte, Secretary of State:

St. Petersburg-Secretary of State, Count Witte:

The journeymen and laborers of Warsaw add their protest to that of other inhabitants of the city against the violent acts committed by local authorities, contrary to the Manifesto issued on Oct. 30, 1905, and as an example they cite the fact of the prohibition of the convention of journeymen and laborers in the city council chamber and of their demonstration, that was to have taken place on Nov. 6th., all of was done in violation of the permission given before.

In order to further elucidate this matter we attach the minutes of the committee, which was to organize the convention.

The Journeymen and Laborers of Warsaw.

Simultaneously we notify all, that we organize a committee, whose aim will be to aid materially all journeymen and laborers, who are in need of it. The committee will immediately begin its activity.

Nov. 6th, 1905.

The Organization Committee

New York Labor News Company was the publishing house of the Socialist Labor Party and their paper The People. The People was the official paper of the Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP), established in New York City in 1891 as a weekly. The New York SLP, and The People, were dominated Daniel De Leon and his supporters, the dominant ideological leader of the SLP from the 1890s until the time of his death. The People became a daily in 1900. It’s first editor was the French socialist Lucien Sanial who was quickly replaced by De Leon who held the position until his death in 1914. Morris Hillquit and Henry Slobodin, future leaders of the Socialist Party of America were writers before their split from the SLP in 1899. For a while there were two SLPs and two Peoples, requiring a legal case to determine ownership. Eventual the anti-De Leonist produced what would become the New York Call and became the Social Democratic, later Socialist, Party. The De Leonist The People continued publishing until 2008.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-people-slp/051223-weeklypeople-v15n39.pdf