The situation was utterly unbearable for the President. Here was the constitutional Executive of the United States, the Commander-in-chief of the army and the navy, virtually excluded by one of his own subordinates from any relation to the business of one of the most important departments of the Government for which he alone was responsible, and his subordinate sustained in this attitude by the legislative branch of the Government. [Sidenote: The dismissal of Stanton from office.] Matters were now rapidly approaching a crisis which could be avoided only by the resignation of the {169} President or by the retreat of the Senate from its indefensible position. If both stood firm the clash must follow, and that too very quickly. On the 21st (February) it came. The President addressed an order of that date to Mr. Stanton dismissing him from the office of Secretary of War, and another order of the same date to General Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant-General of the army, commanding him to take possession of the War Office and administer its affairs _ad interim_. He, on the same date, informed the Senate of his action, and transmitted to that body a copy of the orders to Stanton and Thomas. [Sidenote: General Thomas appointed Secretary of War _ad interim_.] Upon receiving the order, General Thomas repaired immediately to the Secretary's room in the War Office, and handed to Mr. Stanton both of the documents, they having been put into his hands by the President's private secretary. Upon reading the one addressed to himself, Mr. Stanton immediately asked General Thomas whether he wished him to vacate at once or would give him time to remove his private property. Thomas replied, "act as you please." Stanton then read the order addressed to Thomas designating him Secretary _ad interim_, and asked Thomas for a copy of it. [Sidenote: Stanton's resistance.]