FRONTIERSMAN AND SOLDIER 257 



On his way home, hearing that some Indians had 

 sought refuge in Pensacola, Jackson captured the 

 town, turned out the Spanish governor, and left a 

 garrison of his own there. He had now virtually 

 conquered Florida, but he had moved rather too fast 

 for the government at Washington. He had gone 

 further, perhaps, than was permissible in trespassing 

 upon neutral territory ; and his summary execution of 

 two British subjects aroused furious excitement in 

 England. For a moment we seemed on the verge of 

 war with Great Britain and Spain at once. Whatever 

 authority President Monroe may have intended, 

 through the Rhea letter, to confer upon Jackson, he 

 certainly felt that the general had gone too far. With 

 one exception all his cabinet agreed with him that it 

 would be best to disavow Jackson's acts and make 

 reparation for them. But John Quincy Adams, Secre- 

 tary of State, was in point of boldness not unlike Jack- 

 son. He felt equal to the task of dealing with the 

 two foreign powers, and upon his advice the adminis- 

 tration decided to assume the responsibility for what 

 Jackson had done. Pensacola and St. Mark's were 

 restored to Spain, and an order of Jackson's for the 

 seizing of St. Augustine was countermanded by the 

 President. But Adams represented to Spain that 

 the American general, in his invasion of Florida, was 

 virtually assisting the Spanish government in main- 

 taining order there ; and to Great Britain he justified 

 the execution of Arbuthnot and Ambrister on the 

 ground that their conduct had been such that they 

 had forfeited their allegiance and become virtual out- 

 laws. Spain and Great Britain accepted the explana- 

 tions ; had either nation felt in the mood for war with 



