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

our position on communion and to receive it again in the general (Mennonite) Church. However, when he saw that all his admonitions were without effect, he promised that he would go to the Department of the Minister of the Interior the next morning, where he knew some influential persons. He made an appointment for us to return the next day so that we might hear what he had been able to achieve. The next morning we went to see Neumann for the third time and were finally admitted. He received us cordially but said to Br Claassen right at the outset: ‘Your affairs are in bad shape.’ Then he informed us that the officials in all the departments, from the highest to the lowest, regarded us as a divisive sect, which provided a dangerous example to the Russian Church itself. Because of this there is not the slightest sympathy in these departments for us; in fact, quite the contrary. [This situation soon changed; cf. further Senator Hahn and other friends of Claassen.] Neither would submitting a written petition to the Tsar help us any, because the Tsar does not make decisions personally [?!] but refers the issue to the ministry concerned. I must confess that when I heard what he said, I lost all hope of success. I thought to myself: ‘our right in this world is lost.’ From there we returned to Pastor Nielsen, who told us that he had two matters that he wanted to impress upon us, which he did in a very long speech which we were not permitted to interrupt. His first point was this: to remain in the Mennonite colonies and establish an independent church, without the approval of the elders was an impossibility. For, he continued, if the elders and leaders in the Mennonite brotherhood were to declare that they would not recognize us, we would lose all claims on the ‘privileges.’ Therefore, he again advised us to seek peace and to abandon our position on communion and baptism. However, if this was completely impossible, we should seek to retain our privileges by moving out and establishing a separate colony. But where? The region of the Amur was not open for reasons which he was not at liberty to share with us. However, in the Crimea [in the whole area of Taurida] the land of the Nogai was being sold. He advised us to quietly petition the head of the second department, Gemgross, who was presently in Odessa, for permission to make such a move. From Odessa the petition would go to the Governor in Simferopol, I believe. Well, that is as far as we have come, dear brothers and sisters. We sent you a telegram 146 the day before Documentary Supplements 361 yesterday; we hope you have understood it. Claassen intends to make several more efforts. Otherwise, God be praised and thanked, things are going well! Plonus is a right gallant brother, with whom, except for his legalism, 147 we can agree entirely. There is some prospect that I could stay here and work as a colporteur. On the other hand, it does not seem likely t