The Sun. — 1855-04-02 (London, England)

RUSSIAN EXCUSE FOR CRUELTY TO THE WOUNDED.  The following despatch, addressed to the Danish Minister in St. Petersbilrff, to whom the protection of British interests in Russia has been confided, will be read with surprise and indignation in England. It is dated St. Petersburg, 21st Feb., and has reference to the documents handed to the Russian Government by the Danish Minister, containing the depositions taken at a species of.court martial before Sebastopol with regard to the crueltif's practised by Russian soldiers on their wounded prisoners : _  "Monsieur le Baron,—Previous to the receipt of the letter, with which you honoured me on the 4th instant, Prince Menschikoff had made the Imperial Cabinet aware of the steps taken by Lord Raglan and General Canrobert after the battle of Inkerman.  " In reply to that communication, the Commander-inChief, Prince Menschikoff, had declared that an unarmed enemy is and always will be under the prAection of the Russian flag. "This principle reqnires neither comment nor confirmation. Whilst referring to it, M. lu Baron, I feel called upon to remark, that if soldiers of the enemy may unfortunately have on the field of battle become the sacrifice of isolated acts of cruelty, information that has subsequently riached us ha; brought to our know• ledge a grave circumstance, which it is of importance to record.  " We have, in fact, learned, that on the day of Inkermann, English soldiers that were supposed wounded and disabled, raised themselves from the ground and fired upon our troops as they passed by them in their attack on the enemy. "Our soldiers, wounded by bullets coming from hands they believed disarmed, may have thus allowed themselves in the heat of action to be carried away by a bloody revenge. " Humanity blames this most undoubtedly ; but they are in some degree provoked to it by an enemy whom they certainly could not look on as unarmed, since he still continued to make a murderous use of his weapons. "The fortune of war is subjected to laws, which must be upheld. Among them is one that deserves to be mentioned here. That one—namely, that an enemy is not at liberty to make use of his weapons at the moment of laying them dow❑ for the purpose of killing those who are giving him quarter. It is with great regret that we have heard the instance of an English officer quoted, who, after having handed over his sword to a Russian sub-officer with one hand, shot him with a pistol, aimed quite close to him, with the other. . . .  " Whilst acts of this nature serve to characterise the fury of the struggle, they at the same time suffice to explain the sad consequences which it Las brought in its train.  "If you read through again, with attention, the minutes appended to your letter of the 4th inst., you will observe that, in the majority of the cases mentioned, the retaliation of the English soldiers was a bloody one. Far removed from all proneness to contention and revenge, we confine ourselves to drawing the conclusion that it would be desirable for both armies that a strict observance of the laws of humanity on the field of battle should be introduced.  "Prince Menschikcff has on his part bastesed to fulfil the duties in this respect that the authority of his command, and the express will of the Emperor, impose upon him.  " We reckon with eqnal confidence on the honourable sentiments of the commanders of the English army. " I do not hesitate, M. le Baron, to express to you this confidence, and return you herewith the documents which you had the goodness to communicate to me. I have not failed to bring them to the knowledge of Prince Menseliikoff, and to request him to take the evidence containeil therein into serious consider. ation, in order that he might contribute with all his power to confer on the present stru;:gle the character of moderation, from which two nations that respect themselves should never depart, even though involved in a conflict, to which we should be happy to put an end, if conciliatory views on the part of the Go♦ernment of her Britannic Majesty corresponded to our own. Accept, &c.,