The Constitution of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee

8/11/2019 The Constitution of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee

1/11

The Constitution of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central CommitteeAuthor(s): Vangel K. SugareffSource: The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Dec., 1932), pp. 572-580Published by: The University of Chicago PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1899361.

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2/11

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BULGARIAN

REVOLUTIONARY

CENTRAL

COMMITTEE

T

IS often

tated

that

the

Bulgarian

evolutionists

ad

no

plan

whereby

o

carry

out their

ims

in

liberating

he

Bulgarian

people

from

he

Turkish

yoke. In

the

national

library

t

Sofia,

however,s

to

be

found

copyof

the

constitu-

tion oftheBulgarianRevolutionaryCentralCommittee n the

Archivesof

the

Renaissance

(Arkhiva

na

Vuzradjdanieto) di-

vision,

folder

papka) no.

69-I.A., no. 9169.

The

document

bears

the

statement

hat

it was

printed

t

Geneva,

1870,

but

this s

misleading.The

constitutionwas

printed

n

Bucharest,

Rumania,

in

1872,

but

for

the

purpose

of

diverting

he

atten-

tion

of the

Turkish

authorities

rom he

revolutionists

n

Ru-

mania,and ofprotecting heRumaniangovernment romun-

pleasant

consequences,

he

place

of

printing

nd the

year

of

publication

was

misrepresented. here

were

twenty-one ele-

gates

who worked

out

this

constitution,

even

of

whom were

from

Bulgaria

proper, and

fourteenfrom

various

parts

of

Rumania. The

seven

from

Bulgaria

represented

hirty-two

secret

local

revolutionary

rganizations;

the

fourteen

from

Rumania

represented

hirteen

rganizations

n

Rumanian

ter-

ritory.The sevendelegateshad thirty-twootes; thefourteen

had thirteen

votes. The

first

meeting

of

the

delegatestook

place

on April

29,

1872,

and the

constitution

was

unanimously

adopted

on

May

4

of

the same

year.'

A

translation

f

this

con-

stitution

rom

he

Bulgarian

follows.

VANGEL

K.

SUGAREFF

AGRICULTURAL AND

MECHANICAL

COLLEGE OF

TEXAS

IH.

Stanev,

Vasil

Levski, is

ife nd

revolutionary

ctivities

Sofia,

1923),pp.

131-39.

572


3/11

BULGARIAN

REVOLUTIONARY

CONSTITUTION 573

THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE

BULGARIAN

REVOLU-

TIONARY CENTRAL COMMITTEE

(Printed t Geneva, 1870)

Motto:

WITHOUT LIBERTY

THERE

Is

No

LIFE-

DEATH

TO

THE

ENEMIES

PROGRAM OF THE

BULGARIAN

REVOLUTIONARY

CENTRAL COMMITTEE

1.

The

BulgarianRevolutionary entral

Committee

eeks to liber-

ate Bulgaria

through

evolution, acific nd armed. The

form f the

futureBulgarian governmentwill not be decided until Bulgarian

liberty s attained.

2.

To attain that

end,

every means

is

legitimate-propaganda,

press,arms,

fire, eath, etc.

3.

We,

the

Bulgarians, esire o

live with ll our

neighbors

n

peace,

especially

with

the Serbs and the

Montenegrins,

ho have the same

aspirations,

nd with the

Rumanians,

with whom our

fate is closely

interwoven; nd we

wish to establishwith them a

federationwithin

ourfree ountries.

4.

We desire

hat the

and

inhabited

y

the

Bulgarians

be

governed

in

accordance

with he customs nd character

fthe Bulgarian

people,

and

that the

lands

inhabited

by Serbs,Montenegrins,

Greeks,

and

Rumanians,

be

governed ccordingly.

5. Let

every nation,

ike

every

individual,guard

its

liberty

nd

govern

tself

ccording

to its own

free

will.

We

wish

nothing

from

others;

neither o we desireto

give

to otherswhat

belongs

to us.

6. We make no pretenses o historical ights, hat is whywe leave

it to the nation

to unite

with

any

nation of

the

federation-Serbs,

Bulgarians,

Rumanians,

or

the

Greeks-consequently

there is

no

question,

o faras we are

concerned,

bout national

boundaries.2

7.

We desire

for

urselves

national, ndividual,

nd

religious

iber-

ty-in

other

words,

human

rights;

nd we desire

the same kind

of

liberty

orour

friends

nd

neighbors.

We do

not

seek

to rule

others;

neither hall

we

permit

thers

o

rule

us.

8. We put amongourenemiesthoseBulgarians,Chorbadjis,3who

in

any way

menace

our national

ideal;

and

we shall

persecute

hem

at

all times

and

all

places.

2

A

marginal

note

n an

unknownhand states that

this

section s not

clear.

3

Well-to-do

ulgarians.


4/11

574

VANGEL

K. SUGAREFF

9.

We

shall accept

the

Greeks

as our friends nd allies

if

they

will

renounce

heirold Panhellenic

deas and historical retensions.4

10. We do not revolt against the Turkishnation,but againstthe

Turkish

governmentnd against

thoseTurks

who

support

nd defend

it. We consider

all

nations and nationalities

who

sympathize

with

our holy and honorable

ause as friends, egardless

f

faith

r nation-

ality.

ARTICLE

I

AIM

SECTION .

The Bulgarian

Revolutionary

Central Committeehas

suchpowers s aregiven o anytemporary overnment. he commit-

tee

shall

prepare

nd carry ut

the revolution

with

ll

possible

means.

In short, t has the

following roblems:

(a)

to spread among our peo-

ple, through

ropaganda,

deas of revolt, his

propaganda

to be car-

riedout through he

ocal secret

ommittees,he press,

manifestations,

proclamations,

amphlets, tc.;5

(b) to supply

everything

eeded to

carry

out the revolution, nd

to prepare

the revolutionmaterially,

i.e., to plan

the military

art ofit, to appoint

the leaders

(voivodas),

to aid withevery possiblemeans the armingof the people, and to

instruct

he people

in warfare, tc.

SEC.

2.

The

Bulgarian

Revolutionary

entral

Committeewillhave

the

power

to

negotiate greements

with other

nations,neighbors,

r

otherswho sympathize

with

us.

ARTICLE II

THE ORGANIZATION OF

THE GOVERNING COMMITTEE

SEC.

1. Every local Bulgarian RevolutionaryCommittee, s well

as the

Bulgarian

Revolutionary

entral

Committee,

hall be madeup

of men of

good character, .e.,

patriotic,

ourageous,

nd

capable

of

keeping

ecrets.

SEC.

2.

The

Central Committee

has

no

regular

headquarters-it

is

everywhere

nd nowhere.That

is

why every

member,

wherever e

may be,

can

represent

he whole Central

Committee

fhe

has

a letter

of ntroduction.

SEC. 3. For the carrying-outf the aim, the CentralCommittee

shall have the right

o organize

ocal committees, hich

hall be gov-

ernedby the samerules as the

Central

Committee.

4

Marginal

note: Impossible-leave

thissectionout.

6

Marginal

note: It is necessary o

have a newspaper,

rgan of

the Committee.


5/11

BULGARIAN

REVOLUTIONARY

CONSTITUTION 575

SEC.

4. For

the

carrying-outf

punishmentorneglect

f duty and

violations

by the

ocal committees,

he Central

Committee

hall

have

a secretpolice offaithful, aring, onstantmen.

SEC. 5. To

facilitate he

workofthe Central

and local

committees,

there

hall be

created a secretpostal

service,

which hall be responsi-

ble to

the committee hat

creates t.

The number

f men n thepostal

service hall

be

determined

y the

needs.

ARTICLE

III

THE

GOVERNMENT

SEC.

1. The local committees, s well as the CentralCommittee,

are

made up of the

following

members: a)

president, b) secretary,6

(c)

treasurer, d) and an

unlimited

number of members

who

shall

divide

their

duties

according o theabilityof

each

member.

SEC. 2. The

president f the

Central

Committeewill be

chosenby

the

majority

otes

of the regular

delegatesfrom he ocal

committees.

He shall

have the powerto

appoint

the othermembers f the

Central

Committee.

SEC.

3. The local committees hall appoint a commissionwhich

shall

supervise

the

work

of the

Central Committee.

f

it becomes

necessary, he

commission

r other

ccreditedmenfrom he

ocal

com-

mittees

hall

elect a

new

president,

who shall

take

up

the

duties

of

the

preceding

resident.

SEC.

4. The members f

the

secret police shall be

chosen by the

Central Committee.

The

number f

the

secret

police

is

not fixed.

SEC.

5.

Every local committee hall have

the

necessary

number f

secretpoliceaccording o Article I, Section4.

ARTICLE

IV

THE

OBLIGATIONS

OF THE

GOVERNMENT AND

OF

EVERY

REVOLUTIONARY WORKER

IN

GENERAL

SEC.

1. The Central

Committee hall

negotiate

withthe

leaders of

other

nations

regarding

ur national

aims. It

will borrow

money

n

the name oftheBulgariannation; t shallhave thepower o

negotiate

for alliances-in

short,

t shall do

everything

or

the success of

our

national

iberation.

6The

word

vice-president

has

been scratched out and

the word

secretary

written

n

its

place

in

pencil.


6/11

576 VANGEL

K.

SUGAREFF

SEC. 2. The Central Committee,

fter he revolution, hall give an

account of all the donations received.

Every memberof this com-

mittee s responsible, ot only ndividually, ut for he othermembers

also. The president s more responsible

ecause he has the power to

choose the othermembers ccording

o Art. III, Sec. 2.

SEC. 3. The presidents f the Central and local committees hall

have the power to call a special meeting

when t is necessary.

SEC.

4.

The president hall see that

the vice-president,reasurer,

and othermembers erformheirduties.

SEC.

5.

The vice-presidentsre to help the presidents.7

SEC. 6. The treasurer f the CentralCommittee hall receive the

funds from he local committees nd fromother

sources,

and

shall

give receipts under number. He shall

keep record of them in the

treasury

ook

and

inform he Committee bout them o that

a record

may

be

kept

of

them

n

the main

Committee ook.

SEC. 7. The treasurer f the Central

Committee hall pay all the

bills,

but

only

with he

Committee's onsent. Every decision o spend

moneymust

be

in

writing.

SEC. 8. The treasurer f every ocal committee hall collect money

from he members

nd

other nterested

eople,

forwhich

he shall

give

them

a

receipt

forthe

amount

given.

That

money

shall

be

given

to

the

head treasurer

nly

on

the

orderof the Central Committee.

SEC.

9.

Every ocal committee

hall endeavor o prepare he people

for

revolt, ccording

o

Art.

,

Sec.

1, making pecial

effortso col-

lect the moneynecessary

or he

support

fthe

Committee's

eeds

be-

fore

nd

after

he revolution.

SEC. 10. The local committees re required o informhe Central

Committee

a)

how

many villages

there re

in their

districts; b)

how

manypeople

in

each

village,

heir

nationality,

nd how

many

of each

nationality; c) howmanyavailable

men are able to bear

arms,

and

how

many

are

ready

to answerthe

first

all; (d)

how much ammuni-

tion

there

s,

and

ofwhat

kind; (e)

ofthe

dentity

f

persons

n

the

dis-

trict

capable

of

leadership;

(f)

of

the

quantities

available of

grain,

barley,hay, straw,

nd othernecessities

ormen and

beasts; (g)

the

number f available cows,horses, heep,goats,etc.; (h) the number f

available

stables and their

capacities.

SEC. 11. No local committee s to negotiatewith eaders

of other

nations

n

regard o our national aim, unless authorizedby the Cen-

tral Committeewhichhas the

power

accordingto

Art.

V,

Sec. 1.

'

This section s scratched ut.


7/11

BULGARIAN

REVOLUTIONARY CONSTITUTION

577

SEC.

12. Every

member, n the

event of changingresidence

from

the villageor

the

town

n

whichhe

lives,

must

notify

he

committee

f

whichhe is a member.

SEC. 13. Every

member of the

RevolutionaryCommittee must

keep

absolutely ecret

the

faithentrusted

o him.

He

must

not

tell,

nor oke

about, matters

ecret, o

his

sweetheart,wife,children,

r

anybody

else who

might

betray

the secret.

Only

to those who

can

keep the secretmay he tell

anything,

nd that

only

when

he

finds

ut

that theytoo wish to share

happiness

and

sorrow

n

the field

f

battle

with

him

bybecoming

member f the

revolutionary

movementwith

the permission f thecommittee aving urisdiction.

SEC. 14. Ifwany ne of

the

revolutionists

s

in

danger, ll members

are obligated

to

help

him

when he shows the

sign.

SEC.

15.

If some

unknown erson

omes and demands, n the

name

of

the Central

Committee,

hat

there

be

a

revolt,

r

anything

o that

effect,

ven

ifhe

has the

sign which

might

have

been stolen

or

taken

by

force

f

arms), any member,

whoeverhe

may

be,

is

required

m-

mediately

o

notify

he Central

Committee;

nd the

guilty erson

will

be traced and executedbythe secretpolice.

SEC. 16. Should the

secret sign fall

into the

enemies' hands, any

member, earning

he

fact,

s

required

to

notify

he members f

his

committee

t once.

SEC.

17. If

any one of the

members

inds ut that ourenemies

re

planning

nything gainst

us,

he

must

at once

tellthe Central Com-

mittee

bout

it, and

if

he

can,

the local

committee lso.

SEC. 18. The secret

police are

empowered o (a) watch the

doings

of the revolutionary orkers n the cities and report o the Central

Committee;

b)

find

out

and

assure

themselves

f

the

accuracy

and

the faithfulness

f

the

secret

postal

service; c) spy

upon

the Turkish

spies; follow,

tep by step,

he

doings

f

the

Turkish

police; and report

everything

o the

Central

Committee; d) see that the

ordersof the

Central

Committee re carried

out, i.e.,

punish

the

culprits.

The decisions f

theCentral

Committee hall be

communicated

o

the secret

police

through

ne

person

whom the

Central

Committee

shall appoint. This person shall be called the chiefof police.

SEC.

19.

The members

f the secret postal

serviceshould be

men

who can

keep quiet

and are

courageous.

They are required o

carry

letters, r

verbalorders

nd decisions, he atter

ccurately nd

literal-

ly, without

ny addition f

their wn.

They mustnotforget ny of

he

orders

given

to them.


8/11

578

VANGEL

K.

SUGAJRE?FF

SEC. 20.

The leaders

voivodas)

re

obligated

o

(a) study

the

mili-

tary

positions

nBulgaria;

(b) select

and

designate

points

for

defense

and

make

the

necessary

lans

for heir

fortification;

c)

designate

he

linesofoperation nd communication;d) makea planfor herevolu-

tion;

(e)

prepare

the

necessary

military

aw;

and

(f)

finally

aise

the

national

flag

nd

proclaim

national

iberty.

SEC.

21.

Every

member

who

takes

part

n

the

iberation

f

Bulgaria

is required

o

think

nd

study

well

the contents

f this

constitution.

ARTICLE

V

MEANS

FOR

THE

REVOLUTION

SEC.

1. The CentralCommittee hallprocuremoney a) by secur-

ing

oans,

wherever

t

can find

hem,

n

thename

of Bulgaria,

(b)

by

receiving

he

collected

donations

from

he

local

committees,

nd

(c)

by any

other

means

which

eceive

he

consent

f

the ocal

committees.

ARTICLE

VI

PEOPLE

SEC.

1.

The

Central

Committee

will

be

directly

n charge

of

the

regularrevolutionists,he leaders,members fthe secretpolice,and

the

newrecruits.

t

will

make

arrangements

ith

he

ocal

committees

about

the

people

in

general.

ARTICLE

VII

AMMUNITION

AND

OTHER

MILITARY

NEEDS

SEC.

1. The Central

Committee

akes

theresponsibility

f

arming

those

members

f

the

local

committees

who

are capable

of

bearing

arms.

SEC.

2.

The amunition

which

the

Central

Committee

hall

supply

should

be

inspected

bypersons

nformed

bout

arms.

ARTICLE

VIII

QUALIFICATIONS

FOR

MEMBERSHIP

IN

THE

REVOLUTIONARY

ORGANIZATION

SEC.

1.

Every

member

f

the

Central

or the local committee

must

take an oath.

SEC.

2. New

members

must

be

recommendedy

some

ofthe

known

revolutionists.

SEC.

3.

The

prospective

member

must

furnish

he following

nfor-

mation:

his

indentity,

he ocation nd

nature

of his business,

nd

his

opinions

of

the

organization;

description

f his

features,

nd

other


9/11

BULGARIAN REVOLUTIONARY

CONSTITUTION 579

physicalcharacteristics.

he applicantmust wait

until

the

Central

Committee

eplies.

SEc. 4. If an outsider,having credentials, esiresto communicate

with

the Central Committee,

he secret

police

must interview

him

first.

n

the meantime

he Committee

must earn

by correspondence

orbyword

of mouth

from he man

himself

he

purpose

of his

mission.

If

the

Committee

s satisfied

hat

he

is an honorable man, it shall

enter

nto

negotiation

withhim

through

ne

man whom

the Commit-

tee shall

appoint.

SEC.

5. The leaders voivodas)

re accepted

according

o

the require-

ments of Art. VIII, Secs. 2, 3, and 4, with the following dditions:

when

n

independent

oivoda8

ants to be received

nto

the

organiza-

tion,

he must take

an

examination

n military

matters efore

com-

mission

ppointedby

the

Central Committee.

f he

passes

the exami-

nation,

he will

be appointed.

Without examination,

no voivoda s

accepted.

ARTICLE IX

PUNISHMENTS

SEC.

1. Capital punishment hall be performedecretly; fneces-

sary,

such

punishment

may

be inflicted

nbroad

daylight.

SEC.

2. Punishments

hall be carried

out by those

members

who

have been

chosen

by lot.

SEC.

3. The convictions

nd executions

hall be carried out

only

by

orders

from

he

Central

Committee.

SEC.

4.

Treachery

n thepart

of

any

member f the

revolutionary

workers

hall be

punishable

by

death.

SEC.

5. Ifany nfluential ulgarian,voivada, rordinaryndividual,

bribed by

a

foreign

overnment,

ries to interfere

ith our

workby

any

meanswhatsoever,

e shall

be considered

n

enemy

f

our

father-

land

and shall be punished

by death.

SEC.

6.

If

anyone

dishonors

ur

nation, .e.,

becomes a traitor o

another

nation

struggling

ike

ourselves,

uch

will be

considered

n

enemy

o our

fatherland

nd

shall be

punished

by

death.

SEc.

7.

If

anyone

disobeys

he Central

Committee nd

tries o

start

a revolt, e shall bewarned nce; and ifhe stillpersistsncarryingut

his

plans,

he shall be punished

by death.

8

There were

many

ndependent

oivodaswho werenot members

f the

organization.

They, too,

workedfor the liberation

of

Bulgaria,

but were

not

organized.

Some

of

themwere

upported y

the

neighboringtates

for he

purpose

of

agitating gainst

the

Turkishgovernment.


10/11

580

VANGEL

K.

SUGAREFF

SEC.

8. If

anyone

of

the

secret

police

refuses

o

carry

ut the

orders

of

he

Central

Committee,

e shall

be punished

y

death.

SEC.

9. If anyoneoftheworkers,uchas president r others,mis-

usesthe

power

of

his

office,

e

shallbe deprived

f

his

position;

on

sec-

ond

offense,

e

shall

be

forced

o

resign

as

a member]

nd

acknowl-

edge

his guilt

in a

written

orm

o

the Committee.

f

he

becomes

revengeful

fterward,

e shall

be punished

by

death.

SEC.

10.

If any

member

f the secret

postal

service,

r

anyone

else,

opens

or destroys

letter

of the

Committee,

e shall

be

punished

by

death.

SEC.

11. If anytreasurer ivesany moneywithout rderfrom he

Committee,

r

if

he

takes

the smallest

sum

of

the

money

entrusted

to him,

he shall

be

punished

by

death.

NECESSARY

PROCLAMATION

The

Central

Revolutionary

Bulgarian

Committee,

n

the

name

of

all

those

whochose

it,

accredited

t, empowered

t,

confident

n

the

secretpolice

and

its arms,

proclaims:

I. Onlythe CentralBulgarianRevolutionaryCommitteehas the

right

o

givethe

signal

for

general

national

revolt.

No

one else

is so

authorized.

II. No

one

of the voivodas

r

the

notables

has right

o represent

[us]

before

thernations,

r

negotiate

reaties,

without

he

knowledge

of

the

Central

Committee.

III.

No

one has

the

right

o represent

ny revolutionary

ommittee

without

he knowledge

f

the Central

Committee.

REMARKS

This

constitution

as

drawn

up

andratified,y

the

unanimous

ote

of the

accredited

delegates

of

the

local

Bulgarian

revolutionary

om-

mittees,

nd

will ast

until he

beginning

f

the

revolution,

hen,

with

the

unanimous

onsent

of

the

Central Committee

nd

the local

com-

mittees,

t

shall be

changed

as

needed.

When

the revolution

egins,

the Bulgarian

Central

Committee

hall

call

deputies

from

ll the

ocal

committees o arrange nothergovernment. hen,finally,hepower

of

this constitution

nds,

and

for

t,

is

substituted

nother

military

law,

which

the voivodas,

with

the

consent

of the

CentralCommittee,

shall

work

out according

o

the circumstances.

MAY

GOD

HELP

US

....

AND GIVE

US

STRENGTH

....

FORWARD


11/11

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The Constitution of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee

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