Mr. HOWE. Mr. President, it is very evident I did not misunderstand my colleague’s position. He repeats almost the same words put into his mouth as having been used the other day. The fact is that he has divided from the Union party. Whether the Union party has left the true platform, or he has, is the point in dispute between him and the party. I shall not stop here to discuss that question at length, nor to ask the Senateto settle it. Theyv are a art, and another party is now standing on the p atform thathe occupies: Hecnllsithis. He means nothing more than that he and the democratic party occupy the same platform. Whether it is his or theirs in point of fact, Itake it, will be settled when they get into convention together. The question of title will be settled then. If it shall be found to be his property I shall not disute it. with him. If they uequi esce in that tit c, it will be entirely satisfactory to me. I apprehend, however, that there will be some dispute about the right to it. I have said that I did not mean to raise any question here upon the sincerity of my colleague’s convictions; but I cannot help noting the fact that in 1848 when he was actln with the Free Democratic party, the Free emo eratic party of NewYorkwas much the strong est portion of the Democratic party; it was, numerically, much stronger than the democratic party of that State; and in 1852 when he left the Free Democratic party and acted with the Democratic party of pWisconsiu, the Democratic partly was the majority in that State, and the ree Democratic party only numbered about 8,000 of p the popu lar vote. I have shown that my colleague did not leave the Democratic party and join the Republican partyin 1854, but onlyin 1856, and then Wisconsin was no longer a Democratic State. Wisconsin elected aRepublican governor in 1855, and in about 60 days after my colleague published that letter, Wisconsin gave a majority of somewhere from 15 to 20,000 for the Republican candidates for President and VEEP. The republican party was unmistakablyin the majority; and in about 4 months from the time my colleague joined the Republican party, so grateful were they for his services, which were very distinguished and ver able, that they made him their representative in this Chamber. Since that time he has served the party and served the cause and served the country, and served it with distinguished ability. It is because of those recollections that that State especially and that I myself regret to see the attitude that he maintains today toward that party which welcomed him so cordially and as trusted him so long; for if he has not left it, he knows very well that he is proscribing it, turning from office, or helping to turn from office, as true and faithful men as were ever in that or any other party, and men who have done as much hard work in his support as any men have ever done. I do not. know whether that party is in the majority in the State of Wisconsin or not; but the President certainly does not acquiesce in that view of public affairs which is most grateful and most acce table to the Union party of Wisconsin. The resident has this patronage in his power. It i said that he resigns it to those who maintain his policy. It is certain that my colleague has great influence in the disposition of it, at least in that State. Raising no sort of question upon the sincerity of his convictions, I must be allowed to say that he has been a most fortu nate politician, always to happen to have just those convictions which bore the highest price in the market.