The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-14 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TlMES,—Every man of humanity will rejoice to
learn from the answer of Lord Russell last evening
that the system of extortion in Jutland by Field-
Marshal von Wrangel will be interrupted during
the suspension of hostilities. The Conference has
agreed that during this period there shall not be
levied by the allied troops in Jutland, or wherever
else they may occupy positions, any contributions of
war, but that the troops shall pay for the articles
they may require. Some doubt appears to exist as to
whether the contributions previously imposed will be
levied atter the suspension of arms has begun ; and
the question is important, as a new exaction, far
greater than any previously levied, and affecting
the property of all the farmers and graziers of
the province, was announced but three days since,
It is to be hoped that the Conference will not lose
night of this matter, but that the representatives of
the neutral Powers will insist on the spirit of the
agreement being considered as well as the letter.
The plunder of these unhappy Jutlanders has been
lertainly the worst feature of the war—worse in
dome respects than the destruction of Sonderborg,
'because it cannot be covered by the pretext of ne-
cessity, but stands forth a glaring act of vengeance
on a guiltless population for the alleged faults of its
rulers. The exactions have been so immense, so out
of proportion to the means of the inhabitants, and
so cruelly levied, that they have filled all classes in
this cointry with an indignation which was well
expressed in Lord Ellenborough's animated speech
The unnecessary and scandalous invasion of Jut-
land—an invasion which violates the understanding
on which the Federal army entered' Hoktein and
the Austro•Prussian army entered Schleswig—an

nvasion which carries the German troops into a

territory purely Danish, and with which no German
has ever pretended to be concerned—is made doubly
hateful by a military tyranny which no one ever
expected to see revived by a European commander.
A population far from rich, inhabiting a region
which derives its only wealth from a scant and
laborious agriculture, and from the cattle which feed
over its plains, is occupied, not because its territory
is on the road to any necessary seat of war, but
merely that men of Danish blood may be oppressed.
For no reason, for no military object, Jutland is
invaded, and then the plunder of the inhabitants of
all their money and all their attainable possessions
begins. Wnat the extent of this plunder, actual or
intended, is may be learnt from the details given by
our correspondent. " I find," he says, " that I had
greatly under-estimated the amount of contribu-
tions exacted by the Austro-Prussians in the
province of Jutland. The towns alone had been
charged 650,000 Prussian thalers ; but the
country was made, besides, to pay 25 tbalers per
tondehartkorn. There are in Jutland 170,942 of
such measures, and the contribution amounts thus
to 4,274,300 Prussian thalers." These facts are
so monstrous as to be almost incredible. Such a
contribution levied on the small and scattered po-
pulation of Jutland constitutes an extortion to
which the annals of war in modern times furnish
no parallel. The population of Jutland is only
about 700,000 souls, and a contribution of four
millions and a quarter of thalers is an exaction per
head such as the most ruthless Generals of the
French E'npire never thought of extorting from any
popuiatior. In a fortnight these poor Jutlanders
have been called upon to pay, man,, woman, and
child, more than a pound sterling per head, and a
large portion of this sum seems actually to have
been taken. As must of eourse be the case
in such
proceedings, the matter simply resolved itself into
the plunder of everybody who was known to have
money or goods. The towns, being the victims of
the first contribution, have suffered most, the more
wealthy inhabitants having been forced to sur-
render their valuables, and the shopkeepers being
condemned to see the Prussian soldiers enter c an
carry off whatevez thay could lay their hands
upon. The dishonour of the German good name
caused by this brutality will not soon be uffaco,d;
but it is in the power of the two States to make