252 ANDREW JACKSON 



force to dislodge her, in spite of the treaty; for in the 

 matter of the western frontier posts after 1783 she had 

 by no means acted in good faith. Jackson's victory de- 

 cided that henceforth the Mississippi Valley belonged 

 indisputably to the people of the United States. It 

 was the recollection of that victory, along with the 

 exploits of Hull and Decatur, Perry and Macdonough, 

 which caused the Holy Alliance to look upon the 

 Monroe Doctrine as something more than an idle 

 threat. All over the United States the immediate 

 effect of the news was electric ; and it was enhanced 

 by the news of peace which arrived a few days later. 

 By this " almost incredible victory," as the National 

 Intelligencer called it, the credit of the American arms, 

 upon land, was fully restored. Not only did the ad- 

 ministration glory in it, as was natural, but the opposi- 

 tion lauded it for a different reason, as an example of 

 what American military heroism could do in spite of 

 inadequate support from government. Thus praised 

 by all parties, Jackson, who before the Creek War had 

 been little known outside of Tennessee, became at 

 once the foremost man in the United States. People 

 in the North, while throwing up their hats for him, 

 were sometimes heard to ask : " Who is this General 

 Jackson ? To what state does he belong ? " Hence- 

 forth, until the Civil War, he occupied the most promi- 

 nent place in the popular mind. 



After his victory Jackson remained three months 

 in New Orleans, in some conflict with the civil au- 

 thorities of the town, which he found it necessary to 

 hold under martial law. In April he returned to 

 Nashville, still retaining his military command of the 

 Southwest. He soon became involved in a quarrel 



