On October 1, preliminary articles of peace with France were signed at Lord Hawkesbury’s office at Downing Street, by his Lordship, and M. Otto on the part of the French Government, and great were the rejoicings at the event, although not so great as they might have been. The ‘Times’ of October 3 says: ‘The public were so impatient to express their feelings on the occasion of the News of the Preliminaries of Peace being signed, that almost all the public streets were illuminated last night. This was evidently not the wish of the Government, who have deferred a general illumination until the ratification of them comes back from France. Accordingly, none of the Public Offices were illuminated, nor either of the Theatres. The ratification of the Preliminaries is expected from Paris on Tuesday next.’
No wonder ‘the public were so impatient to express their feelings,’ their joy must have been so great. Long-suffering, they had borne the burden and heat of a long war, cheerfully too, and gladly must they have welcomed its conclusion.
In Paris the joy was the same. The ‘Times,’ October 10, says: ‘The Intelligence ... was announced to the inhabitants of Paris by discharges of Artillery, and was proclaimed by torch light throughout the streets. At night there was a general illumination. Never was joy more fervently expressed.’
One of the most practical tests of renewed confidence was the great variation of 3 per cent. Consols—in September 58¼; in October 69½.
On October 10 came the preliminaries, ratified. Let us see the ‘Times’’ account:—‘London October 12th. On Saturday morning, at ten o’clock, General Daurostan,[61] Chef de Brigade in the Artillery, and Aide de Camp to General Bonaparte, arrived at M. Otto’s house in Hereford Street, with the ratification of the French Government of the Preliminaries of Peace signed on the 1st inst. between Lord Hawkesbury and M. Otto in Downing Street.
‘The Preliminaries were ratified in Paris on the 5th; but General Daurostan was not dispatched till Wednesday evening, in order to give time for a magnificent gold box to be made, in which the ratification was enclosed to Lord Hawkesbury. The General was also delayed by his carriage breaking down upon the road.
‘After breakfasting at M. Otto’s, the General, accompanied by the Minister, and Mr. St. John (Mrs. Otto’s brother), proceeded to Reddish’s Hotel, in St. James’s Street, where he dressed, and afterwards went to Downing Street. On their way thither, the populace took the horses from the carriage, and drew it through the principal streets. As soon as the Ratifications had been exchanged, Lord Hawkesbury sent a letter to the Lord Mayor.... General Daurostan cannot fail to communicate to his Court the very flattering manner in which he had been received in London. His carriage having been drawn to St. James’s Street, he alighted and came forward to the window, and bowed to the populace. On his way to Downing Street, they drew his carriage through the Park. Lord St. Vincent happening to be at the garden-gate of the Admiralty, the mob gave the gallant Admiral three hearty cheers, who, in return, recommended them to take care of the strangers, and not to overturn the carriage.... It is understood that there will be another illumination this evening. The Bank and Post Office have given notice of their intending to do so.’
Cobbett foamed at the mouth over this Peace, and his utterances are so caustic as to be well worth reproduction.[62] ‘We request our readers to observe, that henceforth we shall be very particular in what we say about the most illustrious Sovereign Consul Buonaparte. Oh! how we shall extol him! We shall endeavour to give our readers the earliest information, when he rises, breakfasts, dines, sups, and spits. With all reverence, we shall treat of his lovely, chaste, and bonny Queen—thus by way of a touch:
‘It is with superlative pleasure we inform our readers, that the last news from France represents the health of the First Consul to be improving. This glory of the world, is returned to his country palace at Malmaison.
But it was after October 10, when the Ratification had arrived, that Cobbett’s wrath boiled over, and he appears at his finest. In the number for October 12, he gives vent to his impassioned feelings in words like these:[63] ‘On Saturday last, such a scene was exhibited in this metropolis, as we never expected to have lived to witness, and having witnessed it, we care not how soon we resign our existence! ... a vile degraded rabble, miscalled Britons, took the horses out of the carriage which contained the two French Citizens, Otto and Lauriston—the latter of whom they mistook for the brother of Buonaparte—and dragged it from Oxford Street to Downing Street; then back through the Park, and, not content with taking the usual carriage road, dragged it through the Mall, a place appropriated, exclusively, as a carriage road, to the use of the Royal Family!!!’