. Autobiography and personal reminiscences of Major-General Benj. F. Butler; Butler's book . es did unfavorably. On the 7th of November, 1861, Commodore Wilkes, with the SanJacinto, captured the Trent, having on board Mason and Slidell, therebel emissaries to England and France. The Trent was an Englishpassenger boat, — and of course a mail steamer, — and England wasin name neutral. That is to say, her people were Avith the North,her government held itself apparently impartial, and her aristocracyand monied class were entirely with the South. Captain Wilkestreated the Confederate commissioners
. Autobiography and personal reminiscences of Major-General Benj. F. Butler; Butler's book . es did unfavorably. On the 7th of November, 1861, Commodore Wilkes, with the SanJacinto, captured the Trent, having on board Mason and Slidell, therebel emissaries to England and France. The Trent was an Englishpassenger boat, — and of course a mail steamer, — and England wasin name neutral. That is to say, her people were Avith the North,her government held itself apparently impartial, and her aristocracyand monied class were entirely with the South. Captain Wilkestreated the Confederate commissioners very fairly and properly;and through his courteous kindness to the passengers of the Trentand the owners of the vessels he committed a mistake in point oflaw which it was claimed rendered his capture illegal. This mis-take consisted in not bringing in the vessel, so that he might sub-mit his capture to the courts. He did not apparently know thatthis was necessary, and, in order not to discommode the consid-erable number of English passengers by bringing them to the BUTLER8 BOOK. 315. Aitdbew Jackson Butlek. BUTLERS BOOK. 317 United States instead of letting them go on to England,— probablythinking that the owners of the Trent might also be considered,—he did not bring the vessel in as a prize. These proceedings of Wilkes created the most intense excite-ment. There was great glee on the part of the true Americans ofthis country when it was learned that the rebel emissaries had beencaptured. There was great sorrow on the part of the South, exceptthat they believed that England would undertake to resent theseizure, as she did, and then their sorrow turned to joy. AfterEngland did undertake to interfere, there was regret for the seizureon the part of the timid and nervous good people of the North. The manner and course of action of the government of Englandwas wholly unprovoked, unjustifiable, and in violation of the cour-tesies due between friendly nations, and in disrega
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