Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-13

The subjoined specimen of literary farafr
seems too good to be fost, and may serve at
least as grateful vicissitude amid the more
serious and ponderous reading with which our
columns are sometimes crowded; while those
who furnish the subjects of this jeu deprit
will, we are sure, excuse the liberty taken
with their patronymic in consideration of the
wit exercised upon it:
From the Stanton Spectator ftE u
The Smiths and the Joneses and the Patter
sons names once classic in the history of our
country, are about to be robbed of the glori-
Gus associations that have hitherto made
them familiar to the people as HOUSEHOLD words.
John Smith-the veritable John-who has
been wont to trace his genealogy back to the
days "ayant" the flood. often reported
among the dead, but always found among the
living is really about TO pass into oblivion.
Major Jones-the gallant Jones, of Pineyille
distinguished alike in camps and eourtshps,
will soon become very commonplace indi-
yidual and fade away from the memory of
man; and as to that very celebrated person
age, 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 Govern
ment, and the press, two members OF which
are fast ascending the ladder of fame. 1t is
said that there are several " F. +. V's."-first
families in Virginia-but there is only one
first family in the United States at this pres
ent writing, and that is the 50 Walker" family.
This Walker family is in many respects
remarkable. 1t can boast of incalculable an
tiquity and royal ancestry. The Smiths are
descended from Tubal Cain, a cunning artifi-
Ger in all sorts of metals, but Adam himself
was Walker. In primitive days there were
10 cf. hos
and it 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 "Deyil 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 unpleas-
antly by an unfortunate business transaction
with the Prince of Evil, but nevertheless he
cut distinguished figure for brief season,
and his name will be handed down to count
less generations in the future. Since Tom
Walker disappeared from the stage the Walk
ers have kept remarkably quiet until a very
recent period. The fact is Tom Walkers
transactions were, 10 say the least of them,
rather disreputable, and the youngest MEN,
bers of the family have, with commenable
modesty, refrained from thrusting themselves
forward as prominent actors upon the public
stage Recently, however, two of the name
have suddenly sprung into marvellous notori-
ETY.. President buchanan, finding it 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 in
| to Kansas to manage the rebeM. This was
| Robert j. Another of the family named Will
| lam, having probably inherited the adventur-
GUS spirits Ofhs ancestor Tom, struck out on
| his own hook some years ago. and has made
| several huge attempts to figure as a great
man on the soil of the neighboring Republic
! of Nicaragua. The appointment of Robert j.
| seems to have resulted as disastrOusly to the
| Democracy as Toms contract with the Devil
did to him. 1t has only made confusion
worse confounded,r while the Governor has
become a more distinguished and probably a
| more popular man. The other gentleman,
| Gen. William Walker, seems to have in his
veins all the recklessness and hardihoOd and
| love of fame and gain that marked the char
acter of the adventurous Thomas, and which
| finally lured him to his ruin. Tom finally
fell into the hands of the Devil, in conformi-
ty with a specific contract; William recently
fell into the hands of Commodore Paulding,
| whose father arrested the gallant Major Andre
! and was sent on to the Government at Wash
ington. In one respect Com. Paulding did
not initiate the wisdom of the Serpent The
| Devil never would have liberated Tom Walk
er on his parole of honor.
| What disposition will be made of the Gene.
| raj remains to be seen. We think it likely
! that the Administration has come to the con-
| clusion long since that Tom is not the only
one of the Walker family that has been in
league with the Evil One.