Letter, Peirce to W. T. Harris

L 183: W. T. Harris Collection

Cambridge 1868 Apr. 9

Dear Sir

I have received two letters from you. I will endeavor to find time to write about a page and a half of the journal of remarks upon your printed reply to my letter.

You ask me to consider the rationale of the objective validity of logical laws. I have already devoted some attention to that subject. I cannot say what I think in less than three articles of the Journal. I send you a first one--written I regret to say by snatches--in the intervals of business and which I have not time to condense and prune down as I ought to do. I do not know but with more time to think of it--I should cut out the passage beginning page 10 "A similar argument" and extending to the top of page 14 together with the long footnote at the end of it. If I did so it would be not because I question its truth but because it involves a long digression.

I suppose the proof-sheets cannot be sent to me so I must beg that you will take care of my punctuation, &c.

It is very kind in you to offer me a place in your columns. I prefer the Journal to other periodicals or to the American Academy's proceedings for my purposes. In case you should not wish to print this and the two ensuing articles (it may be more than you bargained for) I must beg you to send back my MS so that I can make another use of it.

Please excuse the haste with which I write.

Yours very truly
Charles S. Peirce