Under the Sign of Wolves

On the highway just outside of town
They found horses with torn throats
Harnessed to an empty wagon

And on the top of a mulberry tree
A merchant changed into a white sheep

All night the wolves danced
Around the fruit tree reeking of human flesh

You would have known how to haggle
With those long-tailed dancers
My grandmother tells me

I stare into her pointed teeth
And try to puzzle out her laughter

Then I run into the backyard
Climb the snow-covered pear tree
And practice my howling

(Translated by Charles Simic)

Let me approach you

Let me approach you
Lame wolf

Let me pluck
Three magical hairs
From your triangular head

Let me touch with a stick
The star on your forehead
The stone over your heart
The left and then the right ear

And let me kiss
The wounded holy paw

Let me approach you
Don't scare me with your divine yawning
Lame wolf

Vasko Popa

The Wolf-totem animal of the Ancient Slavs

The wolf was a totem animal for the ancient Slavic peoples. It’s always had a major role in the people’s folklore, and the same goes for mythology. The magical practice of the Slavs is connected to wolves as well, whether it’s about protection rituals, astral or ethereal projection or rituals for the cult of the ancestors. Some of these rituals are practiced even today, therefore it is essential that we examine the role of this animal in the ancient Slavic religion. Mythology Slavic mythology mentions a deity which is in indissolubly connected with the wolf. That deity is Dažbog, God of the Sun and the son of Svarog, namely one of the group of Gods called Svarožić. Dažbog, like so many other deities, is theriomorphous and his animal form is a white, lame wolf. The characteristics of the wolf double of Dažbog should certainly be further analyzed, seeing how they explain not only Dažbog’s nature, but also shed light on some of the beliefs of the ancient Slavs concerning some natural and weather-related phenomena. What does the white colour of Dažbog’s wolf actually symbolize? Our first thought will be the geographic position of the ancient Slavic homeland, which many place in the extreme North, the legendary Hyperboraea. It’s very odd that a white wolf, considered an ancestor of a South Slavic people, namely the Serbs, has traits that are typical of the polar wolf. However, the white colour of the wolf’s fur is connected to the chthonic aspect of Dažbog, but also the chthonic aspect of the wolf itself. Dažbog, as we know, is the God of the Underworld where the deceased reside. His chthonic function is also manifested in the belief that he is the God of miners, i.e. a God that resides under ground. In the European folklore, white animals represent beings that connect our world with the spirit world, so it’s not strange that the animal form of a chthonic deity has white coloured fur. The lameness of Dažbog’s wolf is also connected to the chthonic aspect of this animal, and this attribute has its basis in the connexion between the wolf and the Moon. As we already know, the wolf is an animal the people believe to be allied with dark powers, the Underworld and demon folk in general. On the planetary sphere level, its match is naturally the Moon, while on the psychological level the wolf’s connected to the impulsive and the unconscious. Seeing how the Moon in all of its phases (except of course the full Moon) is “lame”, it’s perfectly natural that a lunar animal would have these attributes (being lame, but also being emaciated and having a broken spine is often an attribute of the wolf in Serbian folklore). Sreten Petrović connects the wolf particularly with the waning Moon, a period in which dark forces are at their peak. The mythical wolf “kriveljan” is also described as lame in Bulgarian and Russian folklore. Another deity is connected to the wolf and his lunar aspect – Horz, God of the Moon and the rising Sun. Since Horz’s reign stretches from sundown to sunrise, we can clearly see that this period corresponds wholly with the period the wolf’s power (as an animal) is at its peak (it’s common knowledge that wolves most often hunt at night time; this is also the time when certain men – werewolves – turn into their animal ancestor). A Ukrainian myth conveys the connexion between the wolf and Horz: Prince Višeslav goes by night from Kiev to the Crimea, crossing the distance travelling at great speed, the so-called “wolf’s sprint”. It is his intention to reach the Crimea before the roosters’ song, i.e. before sunrise. Višeslav attempts to beat Horz’s path, i.e. the Moon’s, since he would, like any other werewolf, prefer to avoid the Sun’s rays which will evidently turn him back to his human form. For what is the “wolf sprint” if not the description of Višeslav’s journey in lupine form, that is a description of Višeslav himself as a werewolf? However, in Ukraine the white wolf is also connected to Lesovik, a forest spirit who was previously probably God of the forests; this spirit is often called, among other names, “the wolf’s shepherd”. It’s important to note that the motif of a wolf chasing after the Moon exists not only in Slavic mythology. The ancient Nordic peoples believed that a wolf called Hati is chasing after the Moon, which he will devour when he finally catches up with it, creating thus a lunar eclipse. There is another myth connected to the wolf, and this myth speaks of Dažbog's voyage to the Underworld, and his marriage to Morana, the Slavic Goddess of death. Namely, Morana and Dažbog had a son named Van, blinded by his mother, as a vengeance to Dažbog whom she had stopped loving. Van was thrown into a pit, but is rescued by Radgost, who takes him to Živa who heals his eyesight with the water of life. As punishment, Dažbog throws Morana onto a stake and, as she burns, she curses Van, turning him into a wolf. Van’s sister Poljelja learns that she can save her brother if she keeps silent for seven years – when this time passes, he will revert to his human form. Even though she goes through gruelling trials, Poljelja keeps silent even when she’s put on a stake, however, at that very moment, the seven years pass and Van turns back into a human, thus saving his sister from a certain death. Nevertheless, Van loses his divine powers and, as such, becomes a human being and, according to the legend, the ancestor of the Serbian people. We shall talk more about the Serbian cult of the wolf later, first we should end this depiction of the wolf’s role in Slavic mythology with a review of the non traditional systematization of Slavic paganism, the so-called Slavic Vedism of Yuri Miroljubov and Alexander Asov, and the place the wolf holds in this system. The Slavic-Vedic astrology, which has its basis in Russian folklore, also mentions the wolf as an important factor in the events taking place in the astral world of Gods – Nav. The Slavic heavens include a constellation of the Wolf as well as the constellation of Volh Zmajevič which influence the occurrences in the world of the Gods, and these occurrences are first and foremost linked to the yearly movements of the Sun – i.e. Dažbog – and constellations he travels through. Even a Slavic-Vedic God, that is a deity who’s originally Vedic, but was later Slavicized by Slavic neopagans, has the wolf as its animal form. The deity in question is Indra, whose son is also a wolf – Volh Zmajevič, or as he’s know in Serbia – Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk (Dragon the Blazing Wolf). Alexander Asov mentions a Vedic tribe that lived in northern Europe and worshipped Indra and his son, that is to say worshipped lupine Gods. Russians themselves worship the bear, their totem animal and their ancestor – the bear God Veles. Cult of the Wolf Among the Ancient Slavs According to Veselin Čajkanović, the wolf is the mythical ancestor of the Serbian people. Seeing how the Serbs have from great antiquity worshipped Dažbog, it’s perfectly logical that his animal form would be the Serbian totem animal. With the onset of Christianity Saint Sava (Saul) took over most of Dažbog’s functions, among other things his lupine characteristics. For this reason St Sava is called the protector of wolves or, like the above mentioned Lesovik, “the wolf’s shepherd”. The belief that the wolf is their animalistic ancestor among Serbs manifests itself in many traditions and ceremonies. For instance, when a son is born, the announcement of his birth in the village goes like this: “Of the she-wolf a wolf is borne!” The Serbian mother would inform her son of his lupine origins by singing him a lullaby that goes like this: “Sleep my son, my wolf and my beast, the she-wolf bare you in the mountains”. Another custom shows that Serbs believed in their lupine origin. The newborn would be passed throw a wolf’s jaws, so as to grant it protection from evil, disease and malevolent demons. In this manner the divine Serbian ancestor, Dažbog's lame wolf would protect his progeny. The use of countless lupine charms had the same purpose, as a result various parts of a wolf would often be used to fend of malicious forces. The best known ones were wolf’s teeth, jaws, eyes, the heart, claws and hairs; the hairs were believed to be powerful enough to drive away the devil himself. The personal name Vuk (Wolf) is actually a quite frequent name among the Serbs, seeing how in the past it was believed that he who bears the name of this totem animal is protected from all evils. Even today names containing this word are frequent: boys’ names like Vuk, Vukašin, Vukan, girls’ names like Vučica and Vukica, and surnames like Vučić, Vujošević, Vukadinović, Vujović, Vukelić, Vučelić and many more. Numerous place-names are connected to this animal ancestor as well: Vučidol, Vukodraž, Vučitrn, Vučje brdo &c. There are many places in the neighbouring Bulgaria that contain the same word, in its Bulgarian form “v’lk” (вьлк); for instance: V’lk, V’lkan, V’lkovci, V’lkoviya, V’lči grad’, V’lčovci, V’lčinya &c. What was the role of the wolf in the religious lives of ancient Slavs? Some customs survive to this day, and so, based on them, we can reconstruct some of the basic traits of the wolf’s cult. In Serbia, the winter holiday called Mratinci is dedicated to the wolf. Beside that, the festival of St Sava, also connected to this animal, the reason for this, as we have already mentioned, is that the Serbian saint and protector took over the functions of Dažbog. During the lupine holiday the wolf would be offered sacrifices in the form of food, and also some ceremonies to protect oneself from the wolves, who caused great damages to the peasants by attacking the livestock. For instance, on Christmas the Serbs would prepare “the wolf’s supper”, a sacrificial offering that was meant to appease the wolf and provide protection of the livestock. This “wolf’s supper” would be brought to a crossroads by a family member, usually a child, who would leave the offering and go straight home without looking back. It’s believed, in both Serbia and Montenegro, that the winter saint, St Thomas, and the Holy Archangel open the wolf’s jaws to punish disobedient shepherds, that is to say that by performing the so-called sympathic magic they sick wolves on the bad shepherds’ herds. It’s customary in Bulgaria that women don’t spin or weave wool during the lupine holiday, i.e. that they do nothing having to do with wool or fleece, otherwise their sheep would pay the price. What’s in common for all the Slavic peoples in the Balkans is that the wolf must not be mentioned during this so-called lupine holiday. If one should still mention him, it was believed that he would thus be summoned and that he would bring great destruction to livestock and the people. The wolf also must not be mentioned at night, during his reign, so instead of the name they’d call him the unmentionable, wilderness, stone-one or fiend. One protects himself from the wolf by making him a familial relation. This magical practice is called “kumljenje” (a “kum”, or a female “kuma” is a close friend that is considered almost a relation; today it’s most often a best man or maiden of honour, or a godparent) and it was quite frequent in Serb religious life. And so a man would become the “kum” of a wolf, which granted him protection, because a wolf wouldn’t harm someone who’s in a way related to him, physically or economically by attacking his livestock. The Serbs would protect themselves from the black plague with a ritual of “kumljenje” by summoning for that purpose Čuma, i.e. the personification of the black plague and calling her their “kuma”. Even today, in a time we can still call Christian, people perform “kumljenje” in the old, pagan manner.

Serbs - The People Of The Wolf

Dabog, master of the dead, ruler of the underworld, protector of the wolves,
made by themselves, black and lame, according to the ancient belief of
Apocalypse, will take troops of Serbvampires towards the final cosmic settlement.
Dabog's cult, known as a cult of the supreme tribal deity, one of the gods of
Slavish Pantheon, is incarnated from the first animistic cults early Metal era,
old Aryan mysticism origin, so Doomsday should not be understood as the Christian
Day of Apocalypse, as neither meaning nor result of "Cosmic Battle" are not
convergent with metaphysics of the end of the world created in chaos of Christian
belief. Morewise, cause, plan and purpose of this cosmic clash aren't clear
completly. This essential motive Serbian pre-religion remains inexplicable,
because the researching was mostly done around saved demonology kept in the
customs and tradition while the pre-religion vanished. Hypothetically, signpost
of something which is in some way established in Slavenian paganism lead to
Svetavid, divinity of war and wisdom as the supreme god of all Slavens. Taking
in advance this god of all gods as thoroughbred "dis patez" and genetic source
of entire race mother Slava, the pre-mother, every slaven tribe each surely
had its particular, tribal "dis patez". This mentioned "nation father", remarkable
god and parent of the tribe people is the darkest slavenian divinity, god of
darkness and underworlds, htonic Dabog, in slavenian pre-religion equivalent to
Hellenic Tartar and germanic Votan.
Like any other slaven divinity, Dabog is son of Svarog, god of the wood and
blacksmiths, previously born as a wolf. That black lame wolf of antrophomorphic
kind became something between man and wolf, the idea probably of early animistic
origin. Of the same origin is generated a global vision of the werewolf in every
Indo-European mythology. Dabog, a wolfish deity, is the first one given the secret
of steel and the skill of forge by Svarog. Therefore, is ritual Dabog's cult of
the hatchet, kept in Serbian people to nowdays. Energy, genetically inherited by
Serbs, from the cult of Dabog is kept and linked with Sava the Saint, the
national one, son of the first Serbian ruler Nemanja (XI century), and the
fetishism of the axe has interwaved the folkways of christian holidays to the
presence of today. So it's special relationship for the wolves, traditionally
keeps the importance of privileged animals, with domestic animals, sacrificed in
their names and personal name "Vuk"(Wolf) according to the national customs has
the meaning of talisman to recent past. With medieval baptizing of slavens and
decreasing of old gods into demonic realm, Dabog was not assimilated with Satan,
as it could be expected, in spite of its very character, but supreme national
christian saint Sava, one of the most intense cults in the Orthodox's. It was
possible based on Dabog's moral indifference, as any other pagan deity, anyway.
Cult of Dabog Contains an important futuristic mysticism tied to metaphysic
destiny and purpose of the nation. According to this ancient creed, Serbs are
people that extinct, in a way that every deceased Serb becomes a vampire-the
warrior of the underworld. The cult very close to scandinavian cult of Valhalla,
dead Serb becomes in Dabog's realm, in the castle of glass in the unfathomable
depth dark pre-ocean that bears the world, a warrior armed with axe, riding the
black lame wolf, waiting the final cosmic battle. Vampire is in fact demon-werewolf,
creature united wolfish and human instincts. Serbian yore doesn't have more
horrifying fear of anything else but of werewolves, so there is Moon-Manus, one
of the gods. This is already known and out of serbian territories, German sixteen
century ethnomaps mark the serbian territory with wolf jaw wide open symbol.
According to oral tradition, before the Day of Apocalypse reach its dawn, the last
serbian descendant on Earth will pass over into Dabog's realm, and then it's time
when every troop of Serb vampires-werewolves on the bottom of pre-ocean is completed.
This gloomy legend distinct Serbs from other slavenian brothers. The pre-religion]
of other slavenian tribes is based on shiner divinities. Widely spreaded cult of
spring and importance of goddess Vesna in Russians confirms that, or mother Slava
herself, the ancient cult intensively present through soviet soc-realistic symbolism,
in colossal monument Mother-Russia in Volgograd.
The leaning to the dark side of home-ground myth could be partly considered as
racial feature of serbian psychism, completed with fact of well-kept demonology
to nowdays. Historical occasions in which Serbs exists, from the medieval mist realm
failure, are here just to intensify this racial resolve and to emphasize unconscious
fatalism metaphysic fate of nation, psycho-mechanism based on archetypal model
of myth. In the depth of serbian soul, as in Fore mother's uterus warmth, bliss
and root power, still feeding the belief, in a way of some deep unconscious process,
that on the Day of Apocalypse the gates of castle of glass will be opened, and
troops of serbian vampires will ride out on wolves, led to final cosmic settlement
by their god and Forefather, black lame wolf Dabog.

Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Edison

Nikola Tesla, a fascinating scientist and inventor, possessed unusual mental characteristics. Born in Lika, American by choice, but still he had Serbian geniality in his genes. If somebody would destroy his inventions, the world would simply stop.

Vid

Sventevith, Svetovid, Suvid, Svantevit, Svantovit, Svantovít, Swantovít, Sventovit, Zvantevith, Świętowit, Światowid, Sutvid, Vid and, incorrectly, Światowit, is the Slavic deity of war, fertility and abundance, sometimes referred to as Beli (or Byali) Vid, Beli = white, bright, shining.
He always carries his sword (sometimes bow) in one hand, and in the other a drinking horn. Svetovid had a white horse which was kept in his temple and taken care of by priests. It was believed Svantevit rode this horse in battle. The horse was used for divination. Victory in battle, merchant travels and a successful harvest all depended on Svantevit.

ONE EXAMPLE OF WISE POLITICAL SPEECH

Dr Milan Stojadinović, the President of the Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1935, a brilliant political orator, conscious of historical circumstances in which the Kingdom of Yugoslavia found itself, gave numerous political speeches during the pre-election campaign for December parliamentary elections of 1939 in which he explained the politics of the Government he was leading. On 13 November 1938 in Novi Sad he gave a speech in front of 18,000 citizens in which he presented his political ideas and future political steps. This speech was assessed by many of his contemporaries and certain historians of an example of wise political speech. His electoral list won the elections that year and he led the government once again. However, already in February 1939 he resigned due to the disagreements with Duke Pavle.
Key words: Kingdom of Yugoslavia, President of the Government, political speaker, pre-election campaign, parliamentary elections.

Branko Nadoveza

Prijatelji i braćo! Dragi Novosađani!
Veoma mi je prijatno što činim posetu Novome Sadu u vreme kada Vojvodina proslavlja dvadeset godina otkako je ostvaren vekovni san naših pradedova o ujedinjenju Vojvodine sa Srbijom. (Burne ovacije prisutnih) Ja dolazim da u ime kraljevske vlade podelim sa vama osećanja radosti i da, misleći na budućnost, zajedno sa vama odam poštu našoj velikoj prošlosti. (Usklici: ‘Živeo dr Stojadinović!’) U tim mislima, sa pijetetom uzimam reč na mestu, sa koga je Svetozar Miletić za narodna prava dizao glas, a Jaša Tomić srpstvo slavio. (Usklici: ‘Slava im!’)
Ova sveta zemlja našeg naroda, pre nego će se nazvati Vojvodinom, vekovima se zvala Novom Raškom i Novom Srbijom. Ona je primila u svoja naručja kneza Lazara i cara Uroša. (Usklici: ‘Slava im!’) Nad njom lebde senke naših vladara, a zidine Despota Đurđa još čuvaju stražu nad njenom ravnicom.
Novi Sad je bio duhovna prestonica našeg naroda, ognjište patriotizma koje je obasjavalo naciju. Neizmerna je bila ljubav vaša prema Srbiji. S braćom, od koje vas je sudbina delila, vi ste bili jedno srce. Pevali ste kralju Petru:
‘Kad izvesni kucne čas…’ (Usklici: ‘Slava kralju Petru!’)
I kad je taj čas došao, svi ste bili s njim. Išli ste u dobrovoljce, u tamnice i na vešala i ispisali ste vašim junaštvom ep dostojan vašeg srpskog imena i dostojan javorovih gusala Filipa Višnjića. (Odobravanje: ‘Tako je!’)
Te četiri godine borbe, to je bilo raspeće našeg naroda. Širom Vojvodine rasejani su svetli grobovi pored puteva, pored zidina, na poljanama, u portama. Petrovaradinski zidovi bili su svedoci mučenja kakva nije zapamtio svet.
Najzad, iz patnji rodila se sloboda. Došla je pobeda, koja je Jugoslaviju ujedinila i donela joj granice. U ove dane, pre dvadeset godina, prve srpske trupe umarširale su u Novi Sad. (Usklici: ‘Živeo naš vođa!’) Na ovom mestu zapečaćeno je večno jedinstvo Vojvodine i Srbije. (Dugotrajno klicanje: ‘Živeo vođa! Živela Jugoslovenska radikalna zajednica!’)
Novi Sade, ti si svoje ime srpske Atine časno zaslužio! Bio si i Atina i Sparta. Čuvao si nacionalni zavet kroz vekove i podneo si sve žrtve za nacionalni ideal. I zato, kada je sloboda donela zajedničku državu, prva prestonica oslobođene Srbije, Kragujevac, kome si slao rodoljupce i prosvetitelje, predao ti je palmu prvenstva da budeš glavni grad i Vojvodine i Severne Šumadije. Svim tim borcima, znanim i neznanim, ja želim danas da odam dug zahvalnosti. Slava im! (Burno klicanje: ‘Slava im!’)
Mi se moramo pokazati dostojni njih. Oni su se borili za ujedinjenje Jugoslavije. Naš ideal je da danas izgradimo Jugoslaviju. (Usklici: ‘Živela Jugoslavija!’) I kao što je Vojvodina nekad prednjačila u delu oslobođenja našeg naroda, tako ona danas ima svetu dužnost da prednjači u delu konsolidovanja države. (‘Živeo! Vođa! Vođa! Vođa!’) Najveća pošta koju možemo ukazati onima koji su živote položili je to da njihovo delo nastavimo, vezujući sve krajeve u isti napor za napredak naroda. (Usklici: ‘Živeo!’)
Kako je lepa danas Jugoslavija za koju su se oni borili! Jugoslavija ima danas tek dvadeset godina. Prebolela je bolesti detinjstva koje su bile duge i teške. Još pre tri godine horizonti su nam bili zamračeni. Privredna depresija bila je na vrhuncu, a međunarodni položaj zemlje neizvestan. Danas Jugoslavija proživljava jedno od najnaprednijih doba svoje istorije. Cela zemlja je u znaku obnove. Mi idemo u susret velikoj budućnosti, dostojnoj naše velike prošlosti. (Usklici: ‘Živeo!’ produžuju se nekoliko minuta) U svim oblastima narodnoga rada, u poljoprivredi, trgovini i industriji, u političkom, socijalnom i kulturnom životu izvršene su reforme i ostvaren je napredak. (Usklici: ‘Živeo dr Stojadinović! Živela kraljevska vlada!’)
Pesma rada odjekuje njivama i vojvođansko selo se vraća svom negdašnjem blagostanju. Zaslužni ratnici dobili su zemlju za obdelavanje. Ukoliko nisu, moraju je dobiti: ili zemlju ili ekvivalent za nju. (Burno: ‘Živeo!’) Država je otpisala zemljoradnicima polovinu dugova. Vaši stari zanati, na koje ste bili ponosni, na putu su da procvetaju ponovo. Grade se putevi, dižu varoši, izgrađuju pruge, zidaju škole i bolnice, podižu pristaništa. Vera u budućnost čita se na svim licima.
Jugoslavija je danas moćna država. Njen prestiž i ugled nikad nisu bili veći nego danas. Ona je okružena prijateljima i dobrim susedima. (Usklici: ‘Tako je!’) U svojim međunarodnim odnosima mi ne tražimo ništa tuđe ali ne damo ni pedalj zemlje koja je naša. (podvukao B.N.) (Burno klicanje: ‘Tako je! Vođa! Vođa! Vođa!’)
Vi ste ovih dana videli kako se granice ponekih država za dvadeset i četiri sata menjaju. Ali mi nismo država koja je stvorena za zelenim stolom, na divanu sedeći i duvan pušeći. (Usklici: ‘Živeo!’) Celom svetu je poznato da su granice Jugoslavije pravedno odmerene, krvlju obeležene, mačem izrezane, kostima heroja utvrđene! Takve granice ne mogu se drugačije ni menjati. Na sablji smo carstvo dobijali, na sablji smo carstva i gubili. Putem svadbe i nasledstva nikad ništa nismo dobili. Mi smo bili i ostajemo narod ratnika i junaka. (Burno odobravanje)
Valjda nije bilo ratova u Evropi a da mi u njima nismo učestvovali. No, baš zato što znamo šta znači rat, mi uistinu iskreno želimo mir i stoga što smo izvršili naše nacionalno ujedinjenje u jednu jedinstvenu, nedeljivu i nikad deljivu državu Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca, koju s preko devedeset procenata naseljavaju Jugosloveni. (Burno klicanje dr Stojadino- viću traje nekoliko minuta.) Mi ni s jednim susedom ne moramo da se pogađamo oko pitanja naših granica. Radi ovoga mi sa svima susednim državama živimo u najboljim i najkorektnijim odnosima. (Usklici: ‘Živeo! Tako je!’) Prijateljstvo koje smo blagovremeno sklopili s velikim susedima na našoj zapadnoj granici pokazalo se u poslednjoj evropskoj krizi kao važan faktor mira u ovom delu Evrope. Blagodareći našem pravilnom predviđanju događaja i blagodareći tome prijateljstvu, mi smo spokojno radili svoje svakidašnje poslove na selu i u gradu. Mi nismo morali da trošimo milijarde samo zbog mobilizacije vojnika. Savez s Rumunijom, Grčkom i Turskom u okviru Balkanskog sporazuma garantovao nam je sve naše granice na Balkanu. Pakt o večitom prijateljstvu s bratskim bugarskim narodom (Usklici: ‘Živela braća Bugari!’) još je više učvrstio mir na tim granicama. Pre kratkog vremena došao je na Bledu i sporazum s našim susedom na Severu, a juče i prijateljske reči mađarskog ministra spoljnih poslova, tako da se sada i na toj strani s pravom može očekivati samo povoljni razvitak međusobnih odnosa. (Usklici: ‘Živeo!’)
Danas, kada stojimo pred izborima i kada pred vas ima kuraži da izađe razdružena i neudružena opozicija, sa raznim kandidatima, počev od diktatora Petra Živkovića (Ogorčeni usklici: ‘Dole!’), pa preko federaliste Vlatka Mačeka (Usklici: ‘Dole Maček!’) do internacionalnog socijaliste Živka Topalovića (Usklici: ‘Dole!’), ja vas molim da se upitate gde bi se danas nalazila Jugoslavija, gde mi i gde vi svi, da smo usvojili mišljenje opozicije, koja je 8. oktobra prošle godine savetovala ukidanje Ustava i Ustavotvornu skupštinu unutra, a bezglavu politiku prkosa spolja. (Usklici: ‘Dole opozicija! Živela Jugoslovenska radikalna zajednica!’) Vi znate gde bismo se nalazili, da vam i ne objašnjavam dugo! I tako, ako pogledamo rezultate naše spoljne politike inspirisane mudrošću prvog kraljevskog namesnika Njegovog kraljevskog visočanstva kneza Pavla (Usklici: ‘Živeo knez namesnik!’), mi možemo bez preterivanja reći da su ti rezultati ravni jednom ponovnom stvaranju Jugoslavije! (Burno odobravanje: ‘Vođa! ‘Vođa! ‘Vođa!)
Ostaje nam još delo narodne obnove koje nije gotovo. Pred nama su nove borbe za napredak ekonomski i kulturni, i u tim borbama ja računam na vas. (Burno odobravanje: ‘Svi smo s tobom! Vođa! Vođa!’)
Vaši preci su svojim rukama isušili ovo zemljište i od pustih močvara, boreći se s barskim groznicama i divljim zverima, napravili žitnicu. Ja očekujem od vas da ćete tu iskonsku energiju uložiti da svoju Otadžbinu podignete do visina o kojima ste stolećima sanjali. Računam na sve, na one koji su bili s vama kada ste ovu zemlju oplodili i na one koji su se posle doselili.
Kada je pre dvadeset godina prva srpska četa ušla u ovaj grad, njen komandir je rekao na ovom istom mestu: ‘Srpska vojska donosi svima građanima mirni kulturni razvitak; svi oni koji žele da rade naći će u srpskoj vojsci svog iskrenog pomagača.’ Tim rečima je ostala verna naša država. Ravnopravnost za sve vere i narodnosti načelo je moje politike. (Podvukao B.N.) (Burno klicanje koje traje nekoliko minuta: ‘Vođa! Vođa! Vođa!’)
Naš narod može u pitanju manjina zauzeti samo onaj stav koji odgovara njegovoj prošlosti i njegovom osećanju pravednosti. Sama ta urođena osećanja našeg naroda najveća su garancija za razvitak manjina, čiji će jezik, vera, kultura naći kod nas svu potrebnu zaštitu. S druge strane, ja očekujem za prava – lojalnost; za jednakost – vernost.
Treba da svi stavimo snage u pokret, da dovršimo svoju misiju. (Usklici: ‘Hoćemo!’) U našim rukama je naša sudbina. (Burno odobravanje) Jedanaestog decembra treba da se izjasnimo: da li hoćemo snažnu, poletnu Jugoslaviju, ili želimo da od nje napravimo ognjište razdora. (Usklici: ‘Nećemo! Dole opozicija!) Hoćemo li sigurnost koja već postoji ili neki skok u maglu, kako nam opozicija predlaže. (Usklici: ‘Dole opozicija! Živela Jugoslovenska radikalna zajednica! Dole Maček! Vođa! Vođa! Vođa!’)
Braćo Vojvođani! Vi, koji vekovima živite na ovim Bogom danim ravnicama, znate da cela Vojvodina, da sve vojvođanske njive i livade, šume i pašnjaci, ne pripadaju jednom ili dvojici, već svima vama pojedinačno. Ali braćo, kad čovek gleda vojvođanske ravnice, kad ima moć zapažanja, on vidi da kod sve te vojvođanske zemlje, svojine stotina i stotina hiljada pojedinaca koji žive u Vojvodini, nigde nema ograda, nigde nema plotova, nigde zidova između pojedinih i pojedinačnih delova tih privatnih svojina. Sve je tu iskorišćeno. Eto, takvu Jugoslaviju hoće kraljevska vlada, kojoj imam čast predsedavati. Takvu Jugoslaviju hoće Jugo- slovenska radikalna zajednica. (Usklici: ‘Živeo dr Stojadinović! Živela Jugoslovenska radikalna zajednica!’) Mi nećemo Jugoslaviju od plotova, pregrada, od zidova i jendeka (Odobravanje), već hoćemo jedinstvenu Jugoslaviju bez prepreka, kao vojvođanske njive, a čvrstu i neprobojnu kao granitne planine našeg Primorja (Usklici: ‘Vođa! Vođa! Vođa! Živeo dr Stojadinović!’ traju nekoliko minuta).
Ja verujem da i vi hoćete takvu Jugoslaviju, i ako je takvu hoćete, vi ćete 11. decembra svi glasati za moju listu. Živeli!²