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

can do not want to. Your Claassen.” II. “Dear Mr. Keller! Today, during a conversation with the secretary of His Majesty, Mr. von M— tz, I spoke of the petition of the Mennonites and how I had failed to win the Grand-duke’s interest in this matter. [The Grand-duke’s adjutant had drawn up the petition.] Upon this, the secretary himself offered to submit the petition to His Majesty. Kindly draw up a new, thoroughly-prepared petition and ask the delegate [Claassen] to come to me in Pavlovsk. Tell him to ask for me in the palace or simply to present the petition at the Marble-Palace in St. Petersburg with the address of the authorizing body precisely indicated. Then I will deliver the paper to His Excellency, Mr. von M— tz, and the rest we wish, then, to commit to our dear God. His holy will be done, as in all things, so also in this good matter. With best regards to you and your loved ones, I am sincerely yours, R. von Mirbach. Pavlovsk, May 16, 1861.” b) Claassen to his wife. “From my diary. May 19. In the morning I went to Mr. Melchior Keller. Then we drove ... to Pavlovsk . . . and went into the palace. We looked up Colonel [Baron] von Mirbach and delivered the petition at the palace .... The copy [of the former letter] I send along so that you might know that our Lord and Savior, to Him be glory forever, is in charge of the matter, not Claassen of Liebenau .... Johann Claassen.” c) Claassen to the brothers and sisters. “St. Petersburg, Aug. 21, 1861. Dear brother Jakob Reimer [Gnadenfeld], it is no surprise that your neighbor thinks I have reported lies to the Area Administrative Office. For how could I possibly have had access to all of these officials! Not only your neighbor is surprised, but also the officials of the cabinet marvel how I have come to know all these high-ranking government officials. Last night at the tea I was asked, jokingly, by what means I had approached all of these officials. With letters of references, I replied. Then I added quickly that I would be satisfied indeed to deal with half as many officials, if only my mission could be advanced. All three of us had to laugh at the presentation: to know all the important officials and in the end to be treated as a tramp! I was deeply convinced during the presentation that this was a very real possibility .... When I came into my quarters, I confided my burden, with much concern, to the Savior .... Often I receive a sheet full of notes and comments for a kiss on the hand or on the mouth, depending on the person. At other times, I received a few pages of poorly-written script, barely readable, and need to spend as much as ten silver rubles to have it copied for delivery .... [In his account only sixty rubles are entered as having been used for his numerous petitions and applications in a year and a half! His total daily expenditures amounted to 99 kopeks!] ... He who would rather have his Documentary Supplements 369 silver ru