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Darwin Correspondence Project

To G. R. Jesse   23 April 1881

[Down.]

Ap. 23d. 1881

Private G. Jesse

My Dear Sir

I regret that I cannot comply with your request to permit the publication of my letter.1 Nor can I see that it wd do any good to either of our opposed sides.— I published the letter to Prof. Holmgren, as I thought it rightly or wrongly my duty; but I cannot stand, now that I am old the wear & tear of controversy—2 I have been glad to read the letter in the Lancet, which is creditable to all concerned in it.3 I assure you that the letters sent privately to several physiologists have been more atrocious publications, than I should think any human being was capable of writing; some being written by ladies.— As I said before we must each go on our own course, & hope & believe that the right will in the long run prevail—

I remain | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

CD had explained his views on vivisection in his letter to G. R. Jesse, 21 April 1881; Jesse had wanted to publish this letter (see letter from G. R. Jesse, 22 April 1881).
CD’s letter to Frithiof Holmgren, [14] April 1881, had been published in The Times, 18 April 1881, p. 10.

Summary

CD will not permit publication of his previous letter on vivisection.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-13136
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
George Richard Jesse
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 185: 34
Physical description
ADraftS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13136,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13136.xml

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