The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

- lished in the fall of that year. Though the law provided that Menno- nites could perform hospital or medical corps services or act as rail- way engineers in lieu of bearing arms, the Mennonites still hoped that their privileges would be reinstated, or at least that they would be able to avoid military service. Five delegations were sent to St. Petersburg in an attempt to gain concessions but they all met with failure.© Their only recourse was that they had the liberty to Compromise or Conviction 45 emigrate until 188]. In that year they would have to comply with all laws affecting all Russian citizens. Reform and the Mennonites The War Department was not oblivious to this special people and actively provided for noncombatant service during wartime and forest service or industrial work in peacetime.’ This meant that the Mennonites were no longer a privileged class and that their colonial privileges granted a hundred years before had been abolished. Still the Mennonites tried to get the laws revoked because they believed them to be a violation of the earlier law.* The final delegation sent to St. Petersburg in 1874 obtained an audience with the president of the Imperial Council. This official expressed his dissatisfaction that the Mennonites, though having lived for generations in Russia, did not yet know the language of their country. The delegation was also granted interviews with Count Heyden, president of the Special Military Commission. These high officials, although friendly, refused to give any assurance of con- tinued exemption from military service and explained that to do so would be unfair to other Russian subjects. They suggested, however, that they might be given the privilege of some substitute for military conscription, such as medical corps or hospital service, and promised that their religious scruples would be taken into consideration. But the delegates remained adamant in their refusal of any noncom- batant role in connection with military service. They were told that their only solution, then, would be emigration to another country.® Migration to America Seeing no apparent relief from military conscription, the Men- nonite leaders were inclined to give up their prosperous homes and emigrate, and a search began for a country where they could settle. Even as early as 1872 Cornelius Jansen, an outstanding Mennonite leader and Prussian Consul at Berdyansk, printed a collection of letters with the purpose of acquainting the Mennonites of Russia with the United States. With his preference well known, Jansen strongly urged his fellow Mennonites to emigrate. Russian officials began denouncing Jansen because many excellent settlers were begin- ning to follow his suggestions. He was forced to leave Russia in May 1873.'° The Jansen case caused many Mennonites to reconsider 46 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites whether they wanted to stay in Russia or not." After an u