The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-03-19
THE WALKER FAMILY.

The subjoined specimen Of literary faceltG
seems too good to be lost, and may serve at
least rs grateful vieissitude amid the more
serious and ponderous reading with which
our columns are sometimes crowded; while
those who furnish the subjects of this yue
despra will, we are sure, excuse the liberty
taken with their patronymic in consideration
of the wit exercised upon II;
From de Stanton Spectator.
Tho Smiths and the JOneses and the Pat
ts,s,,s names once classic Ia The history OF
onr con,trv. are about to be robbed of the
oIo+;ons associations that have hitherto made
I'm familiar to the people us household
,yo,ds John Smith-lhe yeritabe John
vim has been wont TO trace his genealOgy
hack 10 the days "ayaut" the food, SO often
reported among the dead, but always found
among the living, is really about to pass INTO
oblivion. Major Jones-the gallant Jones,
of Pinevle-distinguished alike in camps
and courtships, will soon become very com
mon place individual and fade away from the
memory OF man; and as TO that veJy ceebrat-
ed parsonage, Billy Patterson, nobody will
care to know who inflicted that mysterious
blow upon the venerable William. Another
star is in The ascendant; another family is
monOpOlizing all the attention Of the people,
and the Government, and the press, two
members of which are fast ascending the lad.
der OF fame. Ii is said that there are several
"F. +. V's."-hrst families in Virginia-but
there is only one first family il the United
States AT this present writing, and that is the
"Walker" family.
This "Waker" family is in many respects
remarkable. II Can boast Of incaculable an
tiQuity and royal ancestry. The Smiths are
descended from 1ubal Cain, cunning artf
cor ia all sorts Of metals but Adam himself
was Walker In primitive days there were
no railways or steamboats,, or stnge coaches,
and il is nowhere mentioned that Adam was
ever seen on horseback. In the early history
of our own country the Walker family played
no mean part. Who has not read the affect
ing story of the "Devl and Tom Walker"
rendered classic by the inimitable pen of
Washington Irving? This Thomas Walker,
it is true, did not reflect much credit upon the
name, having involved himself rather I'M
pleasantly by an unfortunate business trans
action with the PRINCE of Evil, but neverthe-
less he cut distinguished figure for brief
season, and his name will be handed down to
countless generations in the future. Since
Tom. Walker Disappeared from the stage the
Walkers have kept remarkably quiet until
very recent period. The fact is Tom Walk
er's transactions were, to say the least of
them, rather disrcputahle, aud the youngest
members of the family, have, with commend
able modesty, RETAINED from thrusting them
selves forward MS prominent actors upon the
public stage. Recently, however, two Of the
name have suddenly sprung into marvellous
notoriety. President Buchanan, finding il
almost as difficult to deal with the unruly
people of Kansas as it would be to treat with
the Prince Of Darkness and recollecting the
daring spirit of the Walkers, called one Of
them from comparative retirement and sent
him into Kansas 10 manage the rebels. This
was Robert J. Another Of the family named
William, having probably inherited the ad-
venturous spirits of his ancestor Tom, struck
out on his own hook some years ago, and has
made several huge attempts to figure ms n
great man on the soil of the neighboring Re-
public Of Nicaragua. The appointment of
Rober; ]. seems to have resulted rs disas-
trously to the Democracy as TOMS contract
with the Devil did to him. Ii has only made
confusion worse COMPOUNDED" while the
Governor has become more distinguished
"uu HIoodoll =" Holt p"pul'i ui"n. Hc o'Hti
gentleman, Gen. William Walker, seems to
have in his veins all the reck essness and
hardihood and love Of fame and gain that
marked the character Of the adventurous
Thomas, and which finally lured him to his
ruin. Tom finally fell into the hands of the
Devil, in conformity with specific contract;
William recently fell into the hands of Com
modore pauldng, whose father arrested the
nd md to ha
Government at Washington. In one respect
Commodore Padding did not initiate :he
wisdom OF the Serpent. The Devil never
would have liberated Tom Walker on his
parole Of honor.
What disposition will he made of the Gen.
eral remains 70 be seen. We think it likely
that the Administration has come to the con
cusion long since that Tom is not the only
one of the Walker family that has been in
league with the Evil One.