Mr. HOWARD. Yes, sir; we substituted another provision for it, and then the article of amendment finally submitted to the States as the 14th article was adopted by the 2 Houses on the report of the reconstruction committee. Mr. President, it has been reproachfully alleged by some gentlemen upon this floor that one great object had in view by the friends of this bill is to increase the political strength of the dominant party in the 2 Houses of conress, and we have been told, sneeringly, that if the measure was not likely to have that effect we should not press it; in short, that we have in view party objects and party interests in the passage of the bill now before us; that we are not actuated by patriotic motives, but rather by partisan feelings and interests. I have to say in reply, that although I be: lieve both these Territories contain sufficient population to justify us in admitting them as States, and that they ought for that and for various other reasons connected with their own local interest so to be admitted, I am still actuated by another motive, which with me is a very strong motive. I have no hesitation in saying plainly to the opponents of this bill that I do desire the admission of Colorado and Nebraska because their Senators here and their Representatives in the other House would greatly increase the Republican loyal strength in Congress. The interests of the country itself require this additional strength. I feel that I am actuated by the most patriotic motives when I say that in my judgment the interests of the U.S.A., the interests of the whole loyal people who have borne the burden of this war, and especially the true interests of the insurgent population at the South, require this increase of strength in Congress. Sir, what, during the last 18 months, have we witnessed? We have witnessed one of the most dangerous and gigantic strides of executive ambition and executive power that has ever been exhibited in this country or in any other free country on the globe. We have seen a POTUS, a locum temens, rather, of that high office, assume to himself upon the close of a bloody war of 4 years, in which, according to his own admissions and confessions, all civil governments were obliterated in the rebel States, leaving them in a state of complete anarchy, without law, without order, without government; as suming, in utter disregard of the will of congress, without even calling Congress together to consult them upon so grave an occasion, assuming to ol;what he calls the constitutional power of appointing provisional governors for the conquered States of the rebellion, instituting, by his executive edicts from time to time, 11 socalled provisional governments in the insurgent States; a power which I, for one, utterly deny to him. I look upon his whole proceedings, from the date of his circular letter to the socalled Governor Holden, of NCarolina, down to the present time, as being wholly without constitutional warrant, and as plain a usurpation of the power of Congress to suppress the rebellion as it is possible to concelve. I will not, however, go further into this subject at the present time than to say that this same Executive, professing to be actuated, of course, by pure and patriotic motives, took upon himself to deno unce the 39th Congress as a body of usurpers “hanging on the verge of the Government, ” without constitutional power to act as a legislative body. We have seen him, after having “swung around the circle” from the city of Philadelphia to StLouis, accusing Congress, at almost every stopping place, of usurping power that did not belong to them, of being tyrants, of being a “body of men hanging on the verge of the Government, ” and of course not constituting properly any part of the Government; denouncing Congress as a band of conspirators in whose bosom was hatched the atrocious massacre at NewOrleans, of which, if they are guilty they deserve nothing short of the halter; denouncing even by name members of this body and of the other House as being worthy of being hanged as traitors, and callin upon the noisy mobs whom he addressed an asking them why they did not hang A, B, C, and D2 and finally, after having promised the offices of the Government to those people who would come, as he called it, to the ballot box and vote for his policy, thus practically, if not legally, holding out bribes to the electors; arriving at StLouis, where he put forth as the result of his meditations and patriotic reflections, the following declaration:. “Well, let me say to you if you will stand by me in this action, if you will stand by me in trying to give the people a fair chance, soldiers and citizens, to participate in theseaffairs” I presume it should have been “offices" “God being willing I will kick them [the office holders] out just as fast as I can. Let mesay to you in conclusion” Here is the deliberate result of all his ha rangues made while performing this pilgrimage to StLouis, the result of his discussions, of his reflections, and ruminations “Let mesay to you in conclusion what I have said, and I intended to say but little but wasprovoked into this more than otherwise, I care not for the names the taunts, and jeers."I care not for the threats. i do not intend to be bullied by my enemiesnor over awed by my friends, but God willing, with your help. I will vetotheir measures to theycome to me. Now, sir, if