My dear Sir

From our long & friendly intercourse, I hope that I am justified in asking a favour of you. It is that you should use your influence with the Editor of the Quarterly Review¹ to insert, as an act of justice, the enclosed letter from my son Mr G. Darwin in a conspicuous place & verbatim, in the next number of the Review.² If you can spare time to read, with the spirit of a judge on the bench, my son’s short essay (I send it by this post for the chance of your being able to do so)³ you will see how absolutely false is the serious charge that he approves “of the encouragement of vice to check population,” as well as the odious insinuation which follows.⁴ I earnestly beg you to let me have an answer as soon as you conveniently can, in order that my son, if his request is not granted, may take any steps in his power, by legal or other means, to rebut the calumnious accusation.

I have written to you & not to the Editor as I cannot expect fair treatment from him without your aid, after his employment of a gentleman to review my Descent of Man, who was notoriously pledged by two previous publications to review me in a hostile spirit.⁵

I remain | my dear Sir | yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin