The radical Republicans interpreted this language, at once, as meaning that the President proposed to so interfere with the execution of the Reconstruction Acts as to avoid their intent and destroy their effect. And the talk about impeachment was again revived. The President, however, meant nothing of the kind, and but for exaggerated suspicion and party hatred the language of the message would have been held to mean only an appeal to Congress to desist from its unlawful attempt to rob the Executive of his constitutional powers, and to the people to elect men to Congress who would obey the principles of the Constitution in their legislative acts. [Sidenote: The veto overridden.] The Houses passed the bill over the President's veto immediately, by an overwhelming majority, and almost in a spirit of derision. The next day, July 20th, Congress adjourned to the 21st of the following November. [Sidenote: The suspension of Stanton from office.] The unfortunate relations of Mr. Stanton with the President, and with the other members of the Cabinet were the thing which was destined to produce the catastrophe. He had become unbearable to the President, and to the most of his colleagues. He ought in all decency to have resigned his portfolio as Speed and Harlan and Dennison had done the year before. The President asked him to resign in a note of the 5th of August. Stanton, feeling sure of the support of the large majority in Congress, contemptuously refused. The President could now in the recess of Congress suspend him without violating the provisions of the Tenure-of-Office Act, or raising the {143} question of its constitutionality. The President at last resolved to take the matter into his own hands and rid himself of Stanton's presence in his confidential counsels. On the 12th of August he sent an executive order to Stanton suspending him from the office of Secretary of War, and another to General Grant authorizing and empowering him to act as Secretary of War _ad interim_. Stanton yielded to this order under protest. He wrote the President that he could not legally suspend him from office and declared that he submitted only to superior physical force. Grant accepted the appointment, although he had, four days before, advised the President against disturbing Stanton. Grant entered upon the duties of the office at once, and Stanton went off to New England to recuperate health, spirits and courage for his battle with the President which was bound to come unless the President should yield and take him back again, so soon as Congress should assemble. [Sidenote: Changes among the commanders of the military districts.]