Ɛpsilon

To Herbert Spencer   [after 22 September 1881]1

[Down.]

My dear Mr Spencer,

Although I agree wholly or almost wholly with the object of your league, yet I do not like joining such a body, until seeing how it works, more especially as I could never attend its meetings, & shd never be able to converse with any of its members.2

I do not feel that I have knowledge sufficient to form a good judgment on any political subjects.

I remain, my dear Mr Spencer | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

ADraftS

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Herbert Spencer, 22 September 1881.
2
Spencer had asked CD to join his Anti-Aggression League (see letter from Herbert Spencer, 22 September 1881 and n. 2).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 such] after del ‘any body, the meetings of which I could never attend [above del ‘join’]’
1.3 never attend] ‘never’ above del ‘not’
1.3 its meetings] after del ‘any’
1.3 & … members.] added
2.1 I do] ‘I’over ‘Nor’
2.1 not] below del ‘I’
2.1 knowledge] after del ‘political’
2.1 good] interl
2.1 judgment] before del ‘of’
2.1 any] above del ‘any’
2.1 on any political 2.2] below del ‘on some of the’, above del ‘on any politi’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13352,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13352