THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

e excerpts and summarizations. b) “I must, however, in the course of this account, touch on incidents which fill the human soul with horror and at times make the very name of Mennonite, which I had held in high regard since my youth, repulsive. . . . Had God not planted the seed of Christianity in my heart, which forms the basis upon which I discern the will of God and which convinced me that we should move to Russia, even I might perhaps have become disgruntled. Since this is not the case, however, I forgive the mistakes of those who went astray and pray God that He may not hold their sins against them. With this conviction I bow myself to the very dust at the feet of my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, and humbly implore the triune God that He may continue to rule in mercy over me, my family and the colony, in whose midst we live, as well as over the entire human race. May God bless our imperial family under whose protection we enjoy so many benefits. . . . c) "After all the people, even the delegates and their families, had arrived in Chortitza (1789), the anger of the people against the latter began to surface more and more. I still remember that shortly after we had arrived several men approached our wagon and asked whether this was the place where we were to settle. Hoeppner answered that it was, Documentary Supplement 115 whereupon he proceeded to explain to them that the earlier plan of settlement had been exchanged for this one by the Baron [Potemkin, the governor of New Russia] because the former one, the “Nischekrymisch plan,” which would have located the colony near Berislav, was too close to the border of the restless Tatars. Nor had the war with the Turks come to an end. But they hardly allowed him to speak, far less to convince them. No one had as yet given this plan serious consideration. Nevertheless, they descended with such fury upon Hoeppner as c ann ot adequately be described with words. I thought: Are these also Mennonites? Nominally, yes! This rebellious spirit grew like a snowball until it reached immense proportions. And yet, some rational people were among them, and these investigated the land to its borders and came back satisfied. Among them was a certain Anton Klassen, who calmed the storm somwhat with his remark that he wished to see no better land since this was comparable to land in Germany which sold for 400 guilders per acre. Such land should certainly provide one with a decent living if God would add His blessing and send good times. With such words he tried to calm the dissatisfied elements. d) ‘‘Preparations to build were made. . . . But the angry settlers would not think of building; for they believed, and expressed it in so many words, that if no one would submit to these conditions they would be given better land. [Because of the elevation they considered the land to be too dry. Compare further the judgment of Senator Contenius]. . . . When the vice-gover