The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-04 00:00:00

eitonino

LONDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1849.

SAFETY of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN

The public will be gratified to learn from the
following official communication from the Admiralty,
that there is at last some glimmering of hope
as to the safety of the adventurous leaders of
the Arctic Expedition. And, although the
intelligence brought to England by the True-
love, is unfortunately very far from being conclusive,
we do not hesitate to offer our cordial felicitations to
Lady Fniog.LlN, and to all those whose relatives de-
parted to the Polar Seas under her distinguished
husband, at the gleam of news which has at length
broken through the hitherto impervious haze of
uncertainty. Without further preamble, we gladly
lay before our readers the accounts this day trans-
mitted to ourselves by the S.,;cretary of the Ad-
miralty :

"Admiralty, Oct. 4,1849.

"The Secretary of the Admiralty prezents his com-
pliments to the editor of The Sun, and requests the
prominent insertion of the enclosed notice in this

evening's paper :

" From communications made this day to the Lords
of the Admiralty by the editor of the Shipping and
Mercantile Gazette evening newspaper, some
hopes are entertained that the news brought
by Captain PARKER, of the Truelove, arrived at
from Davis' Straits, of Sir John Franklin's
ships having been seen by the natives, as late as
March last, beset by the ice, in Prince Regent's
Inlet, is not without foundation.

"From the same source reports have been received
that Sir James Ross's ships are in the south of
Prince Regent's Inlet, and that the vessels of both
expeditions are safe.

" This hope is somewhat strengthened by the
telegraphic message to the Admiralty, since received
fro'.n the Mayor of Hull, where the Truelove arrived
lf.at night."

From the above it will be observed that the intel-
ligence relating to Sir JOHN FRANKLIN comes through
some more homely, and consequently more admissible,
channel than from the lips of a clairvoyante at
Bolton. According to Captain PARKER, the com-
mander of the Truelove, just arrived at Hull,
after a voyage from Davis' Straits, it will
be observed that there is some probability
of the report, as to the missing vessels having been
seen as recently as March last by the natives, while
beset by the ice in Prince Regent's Inlet, proving not
altogether without foundation. Supposing this ru-
mour, on investigation, to be found correct, much of
the anxiety respecting our brave countrymen will by
°that very circumstance be at once dissipated. For,
according to that showing, the voyagers on the
exploring expedition will have been seen within about
half-a-year from the present period. Such being
the case, the probabilities are that the second expe-
dition, the one dispatched by the Government to
carry assistance to Sir Joux FRANKLIN and his
comrades, have already, or will very speedily, light
upon their predecessors. The meeting among those
regions of eternal winter, and the return of the
adventurers homewards, will be amongst the most en-
thralling incidents recorded in that encyclopaedia of
marvels and heroism, the " Library of Voyages and
Travels." Not only from our European revolutions,
but Ids° from the occurrences transpiring in the re-
mr,test corners of the navigable globe, may we ob-
tain conclusive evidence of the inaccuracy of that
remark of BURKE—that the age of history has
gone by. We are more than ever sanguine that the
last researches of Sir Jou N Faariximq and
of his colleague, Captain Citoziut, in the
Arctic Circle, may add another and a bril-
liant chapter to our maritime annals, and not
remain for ever a mystery, whose solution is as
horribly dubious as the fate of the unhappy Presi-
dent. The above communication from the Secretary
to the Admiralty inspires U 3 with new hope that the
name of FRANKLIN will be numbered amongst the
most successful, and not amongst the most unfortu-

n'te, of our illustriaus navigators.

There was an incident recorded in our foreign in,
to Iligence of Saturday last, the bare recital of which
"riust fill every manly heart with unutterable indigna-
tion, and yet in the civil:z2d country in which it
took place such things aro a matter of daily OCCUtr-
e2nce. Wherever that mirror of chivalry, General
IIAYNau, makes his appearance, his soldiers—so often
conquered, and no wonder! when they meet men in
open fight—are employed in bestowing the lash upon
refractory women. Such, it appears, is the mot ap.

proved mode of Austrian warfare in the nineteenth
century, and Austria (as we were informed no later
back than Friday last) is " a Power with which Eng-
land, if not in alliance, is on friendly terms !" GOD
forbid that we should in any way regard with satis-
faction such an act of wanton cruelty, such a base and
cowardly outrage as that perpetrated against the noble
lady whose hospitality had afforded temporary succour
to the heroic fugitives BEM and Gu'roN.
Nevertheless, the event, however lamentable, has
been excellently well-timed. It has come as " a great
fact " to give a startling answer to the eloquence of a
contemporary who, on Friday last, denounced with
most rhetorical indignation the illiberal opponents of
an Austrian loan. Let the people of England look
dispassionately upon this picture and on that : let
them listen to an English newspaper strongly urging
upon Englishmen the propriety of furnishing supplies
of money to impoverished Austria, and, behold I the
next day it is made manifest for what purpose those
sums of money are required. It is asked of
us, Englishmen ! to put a lash into the
hands of Harelau ! We are called upon--we who
boast of our civilization and our Christianity—we
whose hearts have bled for the sorrows of the Hunga-
rian patriots—we are called upon (now that the
swords of her soldiers are no longer to be feared) to
share in the final glories of an Austrian campaign,
the chastising of the wives and widows of the insur
gents. Such is the sober fact. Austria wants
money, and why, we are indignantly isked, should
not English money be forthcoming. " This (we are
told) is one of the most ordinary commercial trans-
, actions possible. It is as a commercial, a pacific
transaction. It is one in which merchants, bankers,
and brokers are eminently concerned. It is a mere
matter of trade." It is the business of a capitalist to
lend his money, no matter for what purpose that
money may be required. In the same way it is the
business of a druggist to sell his wares, and of a cutler
to dispose of his weapons ; but if those weapons or
those wares be purchased fur the avowed purpose of
, committing murder, we apprehend that the said cut-
ler and the said druggist will be amenable to the laws
albeit they considered the sale " a mere matter of
trade." Equally certain it is that any capitalist whose
gold shall find its way into the coffers of Austria will
from henceforth be identified, in the eyes of Europe,
with the cruelties of WINDISCHGRATZ and the
cowardice of HAYNAU.

He will be a mercenary speculator indeed who will
venture to advance his money at such a rate of interest.
If, however, anything were wanting to demonstrate the
odious nature of such a transaction it would be amply
afforded by the brutal flogging of Madame MADERS-
BRUCK. There are some persons in this country
whose political opinions are favourable to despotism,
who regard the Hungarians as rebels, and conse-
quently the Austrian campaign as perfectly legitimate.
However much we may differ from these, we are
confident that not one of them, not one individual
Englishman, Scotchman, or Irishman, approves, or
even tolerates the brutalities of General HAYNAU.
Not one subject of Queen VICTORIA would have stood
by and witnessed a woman, whose only crime was the
haring succoured the brave unfortunate, basely
flogged by the hands of soldiers, and then dragged
barefoot. Not one British heart would have throbbed
callously—not one British hand, even if its owner
stood alone against a host, but would have been
lifted in that woman's defence. This is a supposi-
tion which no one, we are confident, will dispute.
Shall we, then, believe that Englishmen, though they
have been termed a nation of shopkeepers, are so lost
to all sentiments of national dignity and individual
humanity as to regard a partnership with HAYNAU
as " a mere matter of trade ?" We do not believe it.
The greatest aristocrat of us all, he who would shed
his blood in defence of the right divine of kings—be
who would bend a bow to extirpate the rebel subjects
of Austria, would not give his gold to find lashes for
the backs of women. Therefore it is we regard the
sufferings of Madame MADERSBRUCS as singularly
opportune. Mr. COBDEN might have spoken for
ever, but even his practised eloquence would be
powerless, in comparison with the natural indignation
which these sufferings have excited in every honest
heart. The Times may exhaust all .the resources of
it 3 rhetoric in favour of an Austrian alliance, and the
rights of capitalists and " mere matters of trade,"

but what are words contrasted with facts? What are

such words compared with such facts—compared with
such evidences of the nature of the Austrian alliance
—such demonstrations of the work for which English
money is required ?

Two years and a half since, when distress and
want of confidence prevailed throughout the entire
country, and when the ruinous consequences of the
iniquitous Bank Charter Act of 1644 became too
plainly perceptible, intelligence was received which
produced the greatest joy among the currency quacks
and bullionists. It was announced that the Au-
tocrat of RUSSIA had determined to extend relief to
the commercial interests of the British Empire, similar
to that which he had previously afforded to our French
neighbours ; that be had directed that a portion of
the specie, which had accumulated in the Imperial
Treasury, under an inconvertible monetary code,
amounting to thirty millions of silver roubles,
equivalent to 4,600,000/. sterling, should be in
vested in public securities, in addition to the
sum previously applied in the purchase of French
renter, and it was understood that the greater portion,
if not the entire thereof, would be expended in the
British Stock Exchange in Three per Cent. Consols.
An Io Fran was forthwith raised by all those who
considered the " convertibility" of the bank-note, and
what they were pleased to term " the integrity of the
standard," as more important than the preservation and
extension of constitutional freedom throughout the
civilized world, or than the honour of the British
flag and the safety of the British nation. The praises
of the mighty CZAR, the virtues of the magnanimous
NieuoLas, were chanted on every side! How grie-
vously were they mistaken who ascribed any selfish
or unworthy motives to that most excellent
Monarch, who ventured to suspect that he meditated
any aggression on our Indian Empire, or on the ter-
ritories of our ancient and trusty ally, the

Sublime Porte. Such slanderers should thence-
forth and for ever hold their peace.
Stronger evidence could not have been
afforded of the pacific intentions and friendly feelings
of that calumniated Sovereign than he had evinced by
coming forward so liberally for the relief of our neces-
sities, and the support of our national credit. It was true
that he had some little agreeable peculiarities—that
he kept his own subjects in a state of slavery and
degradation, and that he was supposed to be the
unflinching opponent of the progress of liberal
opinions and constitutional freedom ; but surely he
was the best judge of the system of government
suited to the innumerable races by which
his boundless territories were inhabited—the
miserable serfs of Muscovy, the Cossacks,
Calmucks, Tartars, et hoc genus smne, could
not be judged by the same rules which were applicable
to English yeomen. The amiable despot, in fact, only
panted for the opportunity of bestowing perfect
freedom on his loving subjects ; his heart's ardent
aspiration was that the recipients should be worthy of
the blessings with which he was ready to endow
them. And, as to his being opposed to free institu-
tions and liberal opinions out of his own dominions,
that was proved to be false by the disintereetad and
timely assistance rendered to France and England, the
most strenuous and influential supporters of these
views, and the sturdy and unflinching opponents of
absolutist doctrines. Ile could surely have no sinister
designs in sending FOUR MILLIONS SI% HUNDRED
THOUSAND POUNDS sterling to our shores, at a mo-
ment when our resources were almost exhausted. lie
could only be actuated by a friendly solicitude for the
welfareyelfare and prosperity of his trusty and well-beloved
alld he might also desire to sustain so good a
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- Such were the -views and opinions entertained with
respect to the celebrated ukase of the 31st March,
1847. Few, indeed, were those who did nut partici-
pate in the joy occasioned by the act of his Imperial
MAJESTY. We, however, regarded the matter in a very
Idifferent light. We could not share the general
exultation. We felt that new weapons were placed
in the hand:3 of the despot to enable him to crush the
liberties of ;Europe. We showed that he was thereby
empowered, under our present ruinous and iniquitous