The seventh day, the last day, the baptism of blood and fire broke the nation’s heart. As morning dawned the nation’s one thought was: The war—the awful battles—the week-long harvest of death in Virginia. Millions sobbed and eagerly sought more news. The storm of death completely absorbed the nation’s attention. The Seven Days of slaughter was the nation’s one heart-gripping thought. For this day certain patriots, certain “men of energy and push and enterprise,” certain distinguished business men, had patiently and craftily waited. The psychological moment! The nation was blinded with rage, tears and despair. Half insane with an awful joy and a sickening sorrow, the people, millions of them, wildly screamed, sobbed and cursed—on July 1. Intense day. The Union army in retreat—defeated. The President in profound alarm, half crazed with the agony of it all, decided, July 1, to call for 300,000 more soldiers for three years’ service. Supreme moment—for the business man. Now! The people are not looking. Now! Strike, viper, strike! Leap, gold-hungry patriot! Leap! Leap now—leap for your country’s throat! Not another hour’s delay.... Place the final pressure on the President. “Mr. President! Mr. Lincoln! Sign our bill! Please sign our bill now—right now. Quickly, Mr. President! Don’t delay longer. Now!” Hundreds of cannon were roaring in Virginia. The President was devouring the telegraphic news from the firing line. Business men—Christian business men—including flag-loving Congressmen, very noble Senators, and many other dollar-mark statesmen, were directly and indirectly urging that the bill be signed—at once, “for the country’s welfare,” of course. The President, urged by these money-hungry patriots, urged by these “men of high standing,” thus urged, the President, writhing with grief over the Seven Days’ slaughter of his brave volunteers, almost sweating blood in his profound fear,—signed the bill, July 1. What bill? The bill that legalized a vast and shameless wrong against the wives and children of brave men on the firing line; the bill that legalized a rape of the National Domain and the Federal Treasury by gilded cowards, while from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, hundreds of thousands of brave men, ill fed, ill clothed, faced hell under the flag on the firing line; the bill that suddenly made plutocrats of Christian statesmen,—made millionaires of flag-waving traitors piously masquerading as patriots; the bill that created the Union Pacific Railway charter, the astounding terms of which are given presently. The President was numb and dumb with sadness and a thousand worries.