Quoted in Mercia MacDermott, Freedom Or Death, the Life of Gotsé Delchev (London & West Nyack, 1978), pp. 273–274
“

Comrades, our task is not to shed the blood of Bulgarians, of those who belong to the same people that we serve. But you all know who was responsible for the betrayal in Konomladi, which resulted in so many of our brothers being beaten and tortured, and which could have had other, more terrible consequences if it had been wholly successful. If those responsible are left unpunished, they will continue their dirty work and will multiply like toadstools after rain. And we, too, will bear a terrible responsibility for not having taken timely measures to cut off the mischievous and criminal hands which are reaching out towards what is sacred to our people. All faint hearts and weak spirits, whether they are Bulgarians or not, who are in the service of the Turkish authorities, must be made to feel that the avenging arm of the people's Organization is long and can reach monsters everywhere, and that there is no power on earth that can protect them from its merciless but just judgment. Some mischief makers have already fallen under its blows. Now it is the turn of the chief traitor to attone with blood for his crime against the people.

— Gotse Delchev

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Comrades, our task is not to shed the blood of Bulgarians, of those who belong to the same people that we serve. But you all know who was responsible for the betrayal in Konomladi, which resulted in so many of our brothers being beaten and tortured, and which could have had other, more terrible consequences if it had been wholly successful. If those responsible are left unpunished, they will continue their dirty work and will multiply like toadstools after rain. And we, too, will bear a terrible responsibility for not having taken timely measures to cut off the mischievous and criminal hands which are reaching out towards what is sacred to our people. All faint hearts and weak spirits, whether they are Bulgarians or not, who are in the service of the Turkish authorities, must be made to feel that the avenging arm of the people's Organization is long and can reach monsters everywhere, and that there is no power on earth that can protect them from its merciless but just judgment. Some mischief makers have already fallen under its blows. Now it is the turn of the chief traitor to attone with blood for his crime against the people." in the context of "Quoted in Mercia MacDermott, Freedom Or Death, the Life of Gotsé Delchev (London & West Nyack, 1978), pp. 273–274" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Gotse Delchev" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Gotse Delchev

About Gotse Delchev

Georgi Nikolov Delchev (Macedonian/Bulgarian: Ѓорѓи/Георги Николов Делчев; 4 February 1872 – 4 May 1903), known as Gotse Delchev or Goce Delčev, was a prominent Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary and leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in Macedonia and Thrace.