Dear D^r. Lauder Brunton

I have been thinking a good deal about the suggestion which you made to me the other day, on the supposition that you could not get some man like the Pres. of the Coll. of Physicians to accept the office.¹ My wife is strongly opposed to my accepting the office, as she feels sure that the anxiety thus caused would tell heavily on my health. But there is a much stronger objection suggested to me by one of my relations, namely no man ought to allow himself to be placed at the head (though only nominally so) of an associated movement, unless he has the means of judging of the acts performed by the association, after hearing each point discussed.² This occurred to me when you spoke to me, & I think that I said something to this effect: anyhow I have in several analogous cases acted on this principle—

Take for instance any preliminary statement which the Assoc. may publish; I might feel grave doubts about the wisdom or justice of some points, & this solely from my not having heard them discussed. I am therefore inclined to think that it w^d not be right in me to accept the nominal Presidency of your Association & thus have to act blindly.

As far as I can at present see, I fear that I must confine my assistance to subscribing as large a sum to the Assoc. as any member gives—³

I am sorry to trouble you, but I have thought it best to tell you at once of the doubts which have arisen in my mind.

Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin.