The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-06
Letter from thc Indy or Sir John Franklin
10 the President OF the United states.

TO the President or the United States.
BEDFORD PLACE, London, April =, lS40
SrR-I address myself to you the head Of great
nation whose power to help me cannot doubt and in
whose disposition to do so have a confidence which
] trust YOU will not deem presumptuous.
The name of my husband Sir John Franklin, is pro-
baby not 70 you that ~
American republic forms so vast and conspic por
ton When visited the United States three years ago
among the many proofs received Of respect and cour
tesy there that touched and surprised me
more than the everywhere expressed to
of his former services in geographical discovery and the
interest felt in the enterprise in which he then
known to be engaged.
The expedition fitted out by our government for the
discovery Of the Northwest Passage chat question
which for three hundred years the
and baed the energies of the of science and the
navigator) sailed, under my husbands command, in
May lS45. The two ships Erebus and Terror, contain
ed l3s men, Officers and crews and vctualled for
three years. They not expected home, unless
success had early rewarded their efforts
atty fastened their return before the close of 1S4
any tidings expected from them in the interval
But when the autumn of lS47 arrived without any in
telgence from the ships the attention of Her Maes-
TVS was directed to the necessity of
ing for and conveying relief to them in of their
being imprisoned in ice wrecked and nwant Of pro-
visions and means of transport For this purpose
expedition in three divisions fitted out in the
early part of last year. directed to the three different
quarters simultaneously, viz -
First to that by which, in of success the ships
would come out of the Polar Sea to the westward Cor
Behring Strait)
Second that by which they entered their course
Of discovery the eastern side, (or Davis Strait)
And, third to an intervening portion of the Arctic
shore approachabc by land from the Hudson Bay Com
panys settlements which it supposed the
| if obliged to abandon their ships might be found.
This last division of the expedition placed under
the command of my husbands faithful friend the
panion of his former travels Dr. Sir John Richardson,
who landed in New York in April of last year and has
tened to Join his men and boats which were already in
advance towards the Arctic shore. OF this portion of
the expedition may briefly say, that the absence OF
any intelligence from Sir John Richardson Mt this sea
proves he has been unsuccessful in the object OF
his search. The expedition intended for Behring's
Strait has hitherto been complete failure 1t con-
cd nf In htcI 20
setting off too late and to her bad sailing properties
did not even approach her destination last year The
remaining and most important portion of the searching
expedition consists of two ships under the nd
Sir James Ross which sailed last May for Daviss Strait
getting Lancaster Sound till the season for opera
lions had nearly closed These ships are now winter
ing in the Ice and store ship about to be despatched
from hence with provisions and fuel to enable them
stay out another but Of these vessels is in
great degree withdrawn from active search by the
cess of watching at the entrance of Lancaster Sound
for the arrival of intelligence and instructions from
England by the whalers
have entered into these details with view of prov
ing that. though the British Government has not for
gotten the duty it owes to the brave whom it has
in providing the means for their rescue yet that
owing to various causes, the means actually in opera
extreme exgence Of the case for must be
bercd that the missing ships were vctuaed for three
only, and that nearly four have elapsed
so the survivors of SO many winters in the ice
must be at the last extremity and Also it must be
borne in mind that the channels by which the sh ma
may have to force passage to the westward
or which they may have been compelled by adverse cir
ted and that one or two ships cannot possibly in the
course of the next short summer, explore them all
The Board of Admiralty under conviction Of this
fact has been induced to offer reward Of 100000 ster
ling to any ship or ships of any country to any
poring party whatever, which shall render efficient
sisance to the missing ships their to any
portion Of them This announcement, which, even II
the sum had been doubled trebled, would have met
whaers which had unfortunately sailed before it
was issued and which, if the news should reach
| any prolonged adventure, having only few months
provisions on board and no additional clothing To the
look with hope competitors for the prize being
well aware Of their number and strength their thorough
equipment: land the bold spirit Of enterprise which
anmates their crews. But | venture to look be-
yond these. am not without hope that you will deem
it not unworthy of great and kindred nation to
tionai spirit and thus generously make it your own.
| must here in gratitude adduce the example of tho
| imperial Russian government, which, as am led to
| hope by his excelency the Russian Ambassador in
| London, who forwarded a memorial on the subject will
send ont exploring parties this from the Asia
tic side of Behring Strait northwards in search of the
lost vessels IT would be noble spectacle to the world
if three great nations possessed of the widest empires
the face of the globe thus unite their efforts
in the truly christian work Of saving their perishng
fellow-men from destruction.
1t Is not for to suggest the mode in which such bene-
VIOLENT efforts might best be made. will only say how
ever that if the conceptions ofmy mind to which
that, in the noble competition which followed, Ameri-
seamen had the good fortune to from tho
iniRnt OF SOWING problem OF the
unbound passage the still greater glory saving
adventurous navgators from lingering fate which the
mind sickens to dwell on though should, in either
case regret that it was not my brave countrymcn
in those whose devotion thus rewarded, yet
should rejoice that il to America owed our re-
stored happiness, and should be forever bound to her
by ties of ahectionate gratitude.
l am not without some misgvings while thus ad-
dress you. The intense anxictes of wife and of a
daughter may have led me to press too earnestly
your notice the trial under which suTcrng-yet
not we only but hundreds of others-and to presume
too much on the sympathy which, assured, is
felt beyond the limits Of our land Yet if you deem
this to be the you will still find sure even in
that personal intensity Of feeling for the
fearessness with which have thrown myself on your
generosity, and will pardon the homage thus pay to
your high character and to that Of people over
whom you have the high distinction to preside
have the honor to be, sir with great respect your
obedient servant, JANE FRANKLIN
EMANCIPATION IN KENTUCKY.-The convention,
composed of citizens of the commonwealth of Ken
lucky, and representing the opinions and wishes of
large number of their fellow-citizens throughout
the commonwealth, met in the CAPITOL on the 18th