From G. R. Jesse   22 April 1881

My dear Sir,

For your prompt and friendly reply received this morning pray accept my best acknowledgments.¹ As the question at issue is a Public one,—pregnant with important consequence to the human and other races, I hope you will allow me to publish it. The appearance in “the Times” of your Letter to Professor Holmgren, necessitated an answer from us.² We could not, with honour, do otherwise than promptly seize the glove which so renowned and so formidable an adversary cast into the Lists of Controversy. I consequently wrote immediately to the Editor,—but my answer, was, as usual, “burked” by that Newspaper. Consistent in its policy towards us it has never yet permitted a Letter in reply from the Original Society for the Abolition of Vivisection to meet the Public eye in its columns.³ “The Times”, on this question, prefers to publish abroad the Logic of the Ladies, and is too astute not to know full well how deeply a weak defence injures a cause.⁴

Relative to what you say in your kind Letter to me as to my side “execrating Physiologists” I have the pleasure to enclose “The Lancet” of the 26^th. ult: At page 525 is a Letter from our Society which will demonstrate to you that we are not the people you allude to.⁵

In regard to the trapping of—Animals—wild, or domestic, and wounding them in what is termed “Sport”,—that is, inflicting pain and death for mere amusement, I thoroughly agree with your observations and those of several of our greatest writers.

Believe me, yours very sincerely, | George R. Jesse. | Hon^y. Sect^y.

Charles Darwin, Esqe. | &c. &c. &c.