General Grant's letter closing the controversy is dated February 11th. In the interval between his quitting the War Office and this latter
Grant's disobedience
toward the President.
The situation was utterly unbearable for the President. Here was the constitutional Executive of the United States, the Commander-in-chief
The unbearable situation
in which the President
now found himself.
Matters were now rapidly approaching a crisis which could be avoided only by the resignation of the President or by the retreat of the
The dismissal of
Stanton from office.