To avert any armed conflict over the issue, the Secretary of State, William Seward, replied that Wilkes had erred in failing to bring the Trent into port for adjudication, on December 26, thus violating the America’s policy of the freedom of sailing the seas. President Abraham Lincoln, with his top advisers did not want to risk a war with Britain over the issue. Thereafter, several tense weeks later, the crisis was soon resolved by Abraham Lincoln administrating the released of the two confederates' envoys to have the right to go to Britain, soon the Confederate commissioners were released shortly after, he also denied Captain Wilkes's actions without a formal apology. Mason and Slidell later resumed their voyage to Britain, but had failed