Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-05
!. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
AETTER FROM LADY FRANKLIN no THE PRESI.
DENT OF THE UNITED STATES

We have pleasure in transferring to our coumns
from the Newark (N..J) Eagle of Thursday, very
interesting letter from Lady FRANKLIN to the Pre-
sident Of the United States. The Editor G the
Eagle" states thps It WAS obtsinsd a. pnhliaAon,
at his reqpcsk " Hon Ksp,@xl XII n
whom The Seer u gtkls sora munic6t 6ted i "a the
following note
DEPARTMENT or STATE, April Is, 1862.
Hon RoDaAN NJ. PRICE, House Of Representatives:
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
your note of the 9th instant, and with the Presidents
leave comply with its request by transmitting herewith
copy Of Lady Franklin's letter to him.
have the honorto be, very respectfully your obedent
servant, DANIEL WEBSTER.
LADY FRANKLINs LETTER.
LONDON, JANUARY o. 1852
SIR Though this is not the first occasion which
have ventured address the President of the United
States on subject Of heartfelt interest to myself and to
many yet should have hesitated to intrude myself
your attention at the present time had not believed it
tobe my express to you the sincere and profound
gratitude feel for the service which has already been
rendered the Arctic by the United States Govern
ment In accepting from my generous friend and bene
factor Mr. Grinne, the two vessels which he nobly
placed at their disposal for the search and giving the
command Of them officers Of the United States Navy
with all the privileges and obligations attached you both
adopted the for which this kind concession
made and secured the good conduct not the Of
the expedition.
How ably that expedition conducted what proofs
it gave Of noble daring and ndefatgbe energy and per-
severance, has been related to me by those who
eycwitnesses Of its achievements and who proud Of
having such noble would have been strange
in deed the hearts Of British officers had not warmed
towards the generous who joining with them
like brothers for the recovery Of their lost counrymen
competitors in in which all the risk divided,
but all the gain in the restoration to Of friends f
haply such had rewarded their eort would have been
May two great and noble countries never be
engaged IN strife less generous and less friendly
II has happened that the untoward circumstan
which caused the American vessels to drift out Of
their into position of great danger have been Of
service cause since by this extraordinary move
the ships carried to greater distance that
channel which is believed my husband pursued in his
passage to the northwest than Of the other ships had
then have since been able to attain and thus have
proved what we should otherwise have been ignorant
Of that the ice which at time seemed to form i'm
penetrabe barrier in that direction is only movable
but in all probability liable to annual disruption.
That after the winter Of unparalleled anxiety suffer-
ing which followed the movement above alluded to- your
brave commanders should have struggled to make their
way back the region from which they had been orcby
expelled when the whole impraccable field of ice in
Bafins Bay lay between it and them, and should have
yielded last only the erces obstacles is proof Of
ndomitabe courage and which their
try may well be proud, and which with kindred hearts
look upon with approving sympathy
The two little vessels which, under such commanders
have thus distinguished themselves again offered
by Mr. Grinnell to the American Government In do
ing believe he has the honor of his country heart
less than the of suffering humanity An American
citizen may desire that having embarked in tie good
cause his country should generously persevere in that
in the fierce with the elements she should again send
forth her hardy sons that in the noble who shall first
carry the long lost navgator who perhaps
yet sanng their eyes and stretching out their hands for
help she should again be equal to the foremost II would
10 a11 that bparf
felt subject Our debt Of gratitude is already heavy
one We wait with deep anxiety, but without any pre-
sumptuous confidence the result Of Congress- persuaded
that in you, SIR have friend no less favoraby dis
posed to help your distinguished predecessor
In the me believing that you may not yet have
rived at any decision, may be permitted to sub
NIT few considerations bearing upon the hopes we
still entertain-nay, which we entertain even more than
everthat renewed search viii lead to positive and
happy termination Of our anxietes.
The results of the late operations Of the allied squad
rons though falling short of hopes and expectations
are neither insignificant devoid of great
for the future They prove in the first place. that the
missing ships escaped all the catastrophes which the
ainthearted and desparng had predicted Of them in
their outward voyage and arrived in safety at the first
winter quarters where the graves Of these be-
longing to the Discovery ships, and buried apparently
with great and decorm attest that the rest Of the
ships companies were only in life but las other
misakeable signs combine TO proye in circumstances Of
security comfort and plenty, and full Of vgor Again.
the future field Of search hos been narrowed the expora
tons of Captain Austins officers the ice carried on
with spirit and perseverance which make proud that
they my countrymen having shown that our ships
could not have pursued southwest course while the dis
coveres of Captain Penny conducted with equal energy
and spirit in northwest direction, leave room to
doubt that the clear water he there upon was first
opened by my husbands ships and that they pursued
their way towards Behrng Straits in high northern lati
tude. Thus future efforts have confined and
dehntve aim. 1t may be affirmed that the lost naviga-
or are now to be looked for with every hope OF success
tne space lying between 1902 and 1902 Of west ong
tuoe ana any parallel Of ttude north of 750. 1t would
appear therefore that TO the completeness OF the
scsIcn, should be commenced simultaneously at both
ends ana 'nat no single expedition going up Wellington
snoud De considered to have exhausted its work
m emerged IN Behring Straits or in other words,
compnsneu northwest passage; nor any expedition
sarng rom Denrng Straits deem ts object attained till
IN comes Out IN wellington Channel or Bans Bay or
otner Words the northeast passage Our own
Government fear, intend to limit their efforts 70 nm
eastern expedition up Wellington Chanrs, Thera -.
mains for the search by Behrne strn;ts oni a.n ~;
vate expedition, set foot by generous ;nd;d, !;
this country, who is devotng his private and M;
personal efforts to the enterprise.
Another fruit Of the late expeditions il the tro~,a
they have given Of the power Of 70 az
stacles before supposed TO be irsurmountabe So
cessfu has been this result that IL Is probable no
steamer might be able in season. to make
which IL would take successive years to accomplish With
out, or which might be accomplished at all.
Scarcely lese satisfactory is the experiment that has
been made Of long journeys by sedge and foot
ice in winter spring weather Hundreds of miles Of
coast have been thus examined Lastly, derive infinite
omfo IL whi he atr