FRONTIERSMAN AND SOLDIER 249 



took people's breath away when upon his own respon- 

 sibility he put the city under martial law. But an 

 autocrat upon whom so much reliance was placed 

 found ready obedience, and the strictest discipline was 

 maintained. Women are apt to be quick in recogniz- 

 ing the true hero, and from the outset all the women 

 of New Orleans had faith in Jackson. His stately 

 demeanour and graceful politeness were much admired. 

 On the day of his arrival Edward Livingston, who was 

 now to be his aide-de-camp, invited him home to dinner. 

 The beautiful Mrs. Livingston was then the leader of 

 fashionable society in New Orleans. That day she 

 had a dozen young ladies to dinner, and just as they 

 ' were about to sit down there came the startling news 

 that General Jackson was on his way to join the party. 

 There was anxious curiosity as to how the uncouth 

 queller of Indians would look and behave. When he 

 entered the room, tall and stately in his uniform of blue 

 cloth and yellow buckskin, all were amazed at his 

 courtly manners, and it was not long before all were 

 charmed with his pleasant and kindly talk. After 

 dinner he had no sooner left the house than the young 

 ladies in chorus exclaimed to Mrs. Livingston: "Is 

 this your backwoodsman ? Why, madam, he is a 

 prince ! " 1 Many years afterward Josiah Quincy, mem- 

 ber of a committee for receiving President Jackson on 

 his visit to Boston, was in like manner astonished at 

 his urbanity and grace. He had the dignity that goes 

 with entire simplicity of nature, and the ease that 

 comes from unconsciousness of self. 



One of Jackson's latest biographers observes that in 

 this campaign everything fell out favourably for him, 



1 Parton, II. 31. 



