arons of his
officers, and endowed them with principalities; the soldiers would have
remained with him; and in six months, enough from the United States and
Europe would have joined his standard, to have held in check the
lawless brigands who make anarchy for the country. The spoils of the
Church would have rewarded the soldiers; immigration would have poured
into the country, and his name and fame have been commensurate with
time. Everything invited him to the act; he could not or would not see
it--he had but one idea, 'This will make me President!' and a lifetime
of glory and power was sacrificed for the empty hope of four years
filling the Presidential chair."

It was a grand conception, but he seemed to take no account of the
difficulties which would have interposed. He assumed that the United
States would have been content with the great outrage, and have
sanctioned the act; and that European nations would have immediately
recognized the new empire. I knew him well enough to know that he would
have attempted the enterprise and braved the consequences; but doubt
whether he or Scott had the talent for the accomplishment of such an
undertaking. General Quitman was one of the unfortunates who received a
portion of the poison prepared for some victim or victims at Washington
upon the inauguration of Mr. Buchanan. It was not immediately fatal,
but he never fully recovered from it, and in a few months after sank
into the grave.

No man ever died more regretted by his personal friends than John A.
Quitman. He was in every relation of life a true man, chivalrously
brave, nobly generous, and sternly faithful to all that ennobles human
nature. Had his brain been equal to his soul, he had been the world's
wonder. It was said of him by one who knew and loved him:

"His spirit has gone to the Spirit that made him,
The rest of the virtuous, chivalric, and brave;
He sleeps where the friends of his early youth laid him,
And green grows the laurel that springs by his grave."

Duncan Walker practised law with his brother until elevated to the
Bench of the criminal court for the city of Natchez and County of
Adams. He served with distinguished capacity for only one or two years,
when he was prostrated by a severe attack of yellow fever. From this he
never entirely recovered. Retiring from the Bench, he directed his
attention to planting in Lower Louisiana; but his health continuing to
decline, he was induced to try fo