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

n subjects, have trampled this right under foot. One cannot hold back the question which rises from the depths of the heart: ‘Why do they sit here, when their heart is still in Berlin; why do they push themselves into our midst?’ ” Mr. Kamensky, who in his aforementioned brochures energetically rejects as absolutely groundless and dishonest the accusations which Mr. Velizyn and people of similar persuasion have levelled against the German colonists, refers §260 575 576 THE STATE to a publication entitled, Unsere Kolonien, by A. Klaus, from which we have repeatedly quoted. Klaus is, in Mr. Kamensky’s opinion, a competent and non-partisan expert and critic of the colonists and the Mennonites— and his book is a refutation of Velizyn. Kamensky throws glaring light upon Velizyn’s injustice by citing (p. 13, op.cit.) several passages from the book of a noted hero in the Crimean War, Mr. Alabin: “The colonists are entirely satisfied with their lot; they love their new fatherland as we its native children love it, and are ready, as we are, to sacrifice everything they have for it. The colonists have proven this during the present campaign [1854-1855]. Just cm enumeration of the sacrifices which have been made by the colonists of Russia, particularly the Mennonites, would make up a very telling page in the story of these colonies. It would serve as living testimony of their love for Russia and their sympathy for our great cause. I know from personal experience of numerous such sacrifices. During our last march in the Crimea, we moved from the Turkish border through many colonies and experienced love and friendly co-operation everywhere; nowhere did we have any negative encounters with the inhabitants; not a single incident took place which spoke other than favorably of the colonists .... During our march we camped out for the most part and naturally ate from the camp kettle; but the field hospital personnel, the various military staff, the convoy— filled the villages [colonies]. Under no circumstances did the colonists even permit their occupants to cook porridge for themselves. They fed the soldiers and, beyond that, provided them with a soft piece of bread or cake for the journey. Naturally this pleased the soldiers a great deal since their teeth had become dull, as it were, from eating dry, roasted bread (‘Ssuchari’). “From Aleschki we conducted marches which dear father Suvorov himself would hardly have allowed his soldiers to make! The circumstances of war demanded that we move on quickly— very few of our people lived in the Crimea, especially in Sevastopol. We did not enjoy a single overnight camp all the way from the Dnieper to the Tschornaia Rietschka, except in Perekop where we were given opportunity to catch our breath. We arrived at the station, ate our porridge, and moved on again. Concerning the details of this perhaps unprecedented march we will speak later. At this point, I simply wa