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DAVIDKOLBAIA
VerilyIsaybeforeGod,IcouldnotexpectthatGeorgianswouldtake
thesideofthosefeeble-minded,unbelievingpeople.Moreorless,every-
thinghereisdeterminedbymerepartyinterestsandtheydefinitelywish
toseizetheopportunitytowinmoreconverts,toluremorepeopletotheir
side,includingunconscionableones.Nevertheless,thesecircumstances,
aswellasmynotionsdonotmakemelosefaithandrespecttowardsmy
country.Here,inAkhaltsikhe,Iamfarawayfromeverythinganddonot
havecompleteinformation.Irarelyhaveanynewspapersandhaveno
chancetokeepupcloselywithevents.Maybetherearefierceandheated
debatesinTbilisiaroundtheseoccurrences.Nothingcanreachmehere.
SoIamcomingtostrangeconclusions.
AmongtheitemsthathadbeentakenoutofGelaty,everythinghad
areligious,sacredmeaningexceptforKingTamar’sslippers.Thegov-
ernmenthadpreviouslydeclaredthatthingsofreligiousvalueshouldnot
beremovedortouchedbutwhyonearthdidtheydoit?
ItisclearMenshevizmiscollapsingandlikeautumnflies,theydonot
evenknowwhotoattackandwhotobitebuttheireffortsarefruitless,the
churchcannotbedefeated.Tothecontrary,theiractionswillinfuriatebe-
lieverssothattheyshallrebelsoon.Butdowereallyneedthatnow?Do
wereallyneedanyupheavalandcontroversyamongourcitizenswhen
alreadythereisaterriblemessandresentmentinourcountry?Moreover,
theMensheviksmakeitevenworsestirringupthepotwiththeirinsen-
sitivity.
ApparentlyinthistragedyMenshevizmismoreinclinedtowardBol-
shevismandthetimemaycomesoon,whenZhordania&Co.willbe-
comemorezealousandinveterateBolsheviksthanLeninorTrotsky.
Toraidthechurch,wreakhavoconit,aswellasderidetheCatholi-
cos,wheredoesitleadusto?Thegreaterpartofourpopulationisvery
respectfultotheCatholicosandplaceshimmuchhigherthanZhorda-
nia.Forme,personally,asareligiousmanandabeliever,theCatholicos
bearsmuchmoreimportanceand,hasgivenmeevenapromiseofglory;
IwouldprefertochooseHim.
Whereisthefreedomofthepress?Ithasbecomeamereimitationand
nothingmore.
in1917.TheirmovementachievedaconspicuoussuccessinGeorgia.Thepartyhadbeenofcially
bannedintheSovietRussiasince1921.