Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-20
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO TIE PIIilIM

~ - fCSJs{C.
I seems little surprising that among,
:. 50 many subjects as 6arc been present
cd for American Biography, the lives Of
those who have affixed their signatures 10
the Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or disrcearded. The ewes of
thousands have dHclt with rapture upon the
document that announced 10 the world that
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought TO be, free, sovereign, and indepen.
dent states;" while we are better acauairl.
cd with the handwritin. than with the cha.
racters of nany OF those illuslrious men
who have added their Signatures to that n.
s!rument. The founders of The only re.
naming republic en- the globe, have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, AM il behoves generous pOslerity.
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred a debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become Traits of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and if trey are not snatched by
the hand Of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
~ season, from the COLI grasp Of death, viii
soon psrtake of the oblivion of the body
II is not TIE object of the present attempt
TO deal in that profusiou OF iudiscrimnatE
and unsparing panegyric, so often End so
falsely digniiied with The name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish to represent the characters
as they were they stand in need of no pa.
negyric and we earnestly solicit from the
surviving relations and friends of those re.
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend TO a development of chalacter
Man is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa.
triots from their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions of their cOuutry's
independence. All this can only be done
by familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of The surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts End
circumstances IL their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall he EN-.
titled to copy of the work as recon.
pensc. 1t is contemplated, wherever il E
practicable, further to embellisb the medi.
tated work with correct likenesses of The
subjects of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in The country. For
this purpose we again solicit the assistance
of their surviving relatives and friends. II
they will transmit TO the publisher any en-
craving Or portrait from which copy may
he taken, the original shall be faithfullyre.
turned, and shall likewise be rcmunerated
with copy of the work. In the first mum.
her it is proposed to give an account of the
Declaration of Independence, from the first
motion that was made Oh the floor Of con-
gress until its final passage into law, a Pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add TO our
last number the Declaration of lndepen.
dence itself, with fac-simile ehgravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendl.
ously stated the objects Of our present IN
dertaking, and we hope that il will be un'
necessary TO mention tina! no cxerion, 90
cur part shall he spared.
The public are now in possession Of our
project, which does indeed seem 10 be de-
handed, by The avidhy so recently display.
ed for the possession of the Declaration Q!
Independence, since il is of very little in
port to become acquainted with mans
hand writing without previou. knowledge
of the man. The secret History OF our De-
claration of Independence, The lives oflboe
who have affixed their signatures to thatin'
strument, accompanied by their Iikenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself'wllh FAC
SMILES Of the signatures, will bring intoone
compact view the prominent facts Of That
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
!. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, Of $50 pages octave
and will be contained in ten numbers.
II. II will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 10
subscribers at two dollars and fifty centsRef
half volume or number, payable on delT'
cry.
DTSubscriptions will be received atlhe