The excitement in the other House was still more intense and irrational. The Senate resolution had hardly passed when the radical Mr. Covode presented a motion to the effect that "Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, be impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors." This resolution was referred to the Committee of the House on Reconstruction, which was, as we have seen, composed of members nearly all of whom were radical Republicans. [Sidenote: The arrest of General Thomas.] Encouraged and strengthened by these movements in the legislature, and hearing that Thomas had threatened to force his way into the office, Mr. Stanton resolved to forestall all possible movements of General Thomas for gaining possession of the office of Secretary of War. He procured a warrant of arrest for the General, and on the next morning, the morning of the 22d, the warrant was served on General Thomas just after he had risen from his bed, and before he had taken his morning meal. The officers who arrested him, the Marshal of the District, and his assistant, and a constable, took the General at once before Judge Cartter, the Chief Justice of the District of Columbia. On the way from the General's residence to the court-room, the General asked the officers to allow him to see the President, and inform the latter of his arrest. The Marshal went with the General to the White House, and was present at the interview between the General and the President. It lasted but a moment. The General told the President that he was under arrest. The President replied that he was {172} satisfied to have the case go into the courts, that he wanted it judicially determined. He then directed the General to go to the Attorney-General, Mr. Stanbery. The Marshal permitted him to call at Mr. Stanbery's apartment in his hotel, and inform the Attorney-General of his arrest. He then took him before Judge Cartter. Nobody was with the General before the Judge, except the officers who had arrested him. The Judge held him to bail in the sum of five thousand dollars to appear on the following Wednesday morning, the 26th. After about an hour friends of the General came in and signed his bail bond, and the General was released, the Judge informing him that he was not suspended from any of his official functions. The General then went back to the White House and informed the President of his release under bail, and the President again replied that he wanted the case in the courts. [Sidenote: Thomas's second attempt to take possession of the War Office.]