DECLARATION ON SETTING UP THE JOINT GOVERNMENT OF THE
SOUTHEAST UNIONOF THE COSSACK’S TROOPS, MOUNTAIN PEOPLE OF THE CAUCASUS AND THE FREE STEPPE PEOPLES
16 November 1917
On 20 October of 1917 the South-East
Union of the Cossacks’ Troops and the Free Steppe Peoples was
established. That day, the
representatives of the mentioned troops and the peoples signed the Union Treaty
in Vladikavkaz, upon which the Joint Government of
the South-East Union started its operation in Ekaterinodar. The Union consists of the following units: Don, Kuban, Terek
and Astrakhan Cossacks’ troops, the North Caucasus Mountain People, Dagestan, Sukhumi and Zakatala
Okrugs and the Free Steppe peoples of Astrakhan and Stavropol Gubernia. On 31 October the Ural Cossacks Troops joint
the Union.
Recognizing the Democratic Federative Republic
as the best form of the state arrangement for Russia, the South-East
Union will observe the general principles of federative
arrangement. The Union,
securing the full independence of its members in the internal affairs, commits
itself to facilitate them through all the Union resources in preparation of
their internal arrangement as the independent States of the future Russian
Democratic Federative Republic.
At the same time, the South-east
Union intends to render a wide-scale support to the other peoples
and Oblasts striving for settlement of the Russian Republic
on the federative basis. To this end the Joint Government already has
established the relations with the peoples of the Trans-Caucasus, Ukraine, Bessarabia, Crimea and Siberia inviting them to conclude
the agreement on the best ways and means for implementation of common
objectives through mutual assistance and support.
Considering important to maintain the
Federative Russia united, indivisible and powerful, the Union
will participate in building of the common state together with the other
peoples of Russia
without any misuse of its privileged rights.
At the same time the Joint Government of the Union,
firmly pursuing the principles of the self-determination, will not allow any
interference from any side in the developing of its internal life. Any infringement of the federative rights of
the South-East Union in a whole or its
individual members will be met by decisive counteraction.
Collapse of the Central state power and the
rapidly developed anarchy destroyed the unity of our great country. The Oblasts and people, left alone before the
forthcoming economic and political upheavals, had to organize their own power
on the basis of self-governance. The
fighting unleashed between political parties posed the threat to the identity
and peculiar traits – the historical foundation of spiritual and economic life
of Cossacks, mountain peoples and the steppe people communities of the South-east
of Russia. Therefore
the Cossacks, highlanders and steppe people of the South-east took in
their hands the power and rendered it to their respective governments elected
through general elections, and for protection of common interests they established
the Union led by the Joint Government.
Fighting against anarchy and violence,
restoration and protection of rights and strengthening of normal conditions of
the public-political life on the territory of the South-east
Union are the primary objectives of the Joint Government, under
which all citizens shall freely express their will and establish Union
Government on the basis of national-territorial representation of reliable
urban and rural dwellers.
Striving for the rapid implementation of this
task, the Joint Government first of all has started restoring the public order
at the residential areas and along the railway aimed at securing uninterrupted
supply of food and forage to the long-suffering Russian Army, the population of
the Trans-Caucasus, Turkmenistan and the workers of industrial centers, urban
and rural dwellers of the Union – with the primary goods necessary for
households. At the same time the Joint
Government is deeply concerned with the arrangement of the local finances. Deterioration of the fiscal system
established rather grave situation for the citizens working at the state,
public and private organizations, and the all of the workmen too. Protection of their interest is the ultimate
goal of the Joint Government.
The South-East, which is very reach with its
corn, oil, coal, livestock and other gifts of nature, has every possible mean
to make flourishing spiritual and material culture, but the autocratic regime, stifling all of the
Russian people crushed it in the very bud.
The Joint Government will take every possible measure to establish the
good environment for developing the education, industry and trade of the
peoples of the South-East, which went through so many shocks of anarchy. At the same time the Joint Government is dedicated
to carry out painless settlement of the agrarian issue in full compliance with
the interests and traditions of the farmers.
As the fates decree Russia is in a desperate situation
at the front: on the one hand it practically fails to continue the severe war,
on the other – it cannot conclude the separatist peace-agreement without
consent of its allies. The agreements
are sacred for the Joint Government thereby declining all responsibilities from
the South-East Union for the results
consequent to the decision of the usurpers of central state power on concluding
the separatist peace-agreement.
As a matter of fact only the power, which
properly demonstrates the genuine will of the all members of the family of Russia is
authorized the lead the. The Joint Government
believes that the way determined by Cossacks, Highlanders and steppe people for
building the internal and common-state life will be met by democratic forces
with full sympathy and finds fraternal support in the building of united, great
and powerful Russian Democratic Federative Republic.
The Joint Government of the South-East Union.
Ekaterinodar, 28 November 1917
(Union of the North Caucasus Mountain Peoples
and Daghestan (1917-1918). Mountain Republic
(1918-1920). Documents and Materials. Makhachkala, 1994,
p. 87-88/in Russian)