Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-07
BY PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLIC.

a so many subjects AS have been present
ed for American Biography, the lives of
those who have affixed their signatures to
the Declaration OF independence have been
overlooked or disrcsarded. The eyes o:
thousands have dwclt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
g these United Colonies were, and Of right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and indepen.
dent states;" while we are better acquainl-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters Of many Of those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in
s;rument. The founders of the only re.
naming republic on the globe. have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and itbehoves generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, 10 preserve
tner fame. The longer We neglect the
payment of so sacred debt, the moe diff
cui, does the payment become. Traits of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and If they are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
ly season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
1t is not the object of the present ATTEMPT.
to deal in that profusion of indiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, so often and 50
falsely dignifed 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 development of character.
Man is the creature OF circumstance, and
we wish to 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 country'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 and
circumstances IL their posse to unfold
end illustrate their characters, shall be ell
titled TO a copy OF the work as recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il is
practicable, further TO embellish the med:-
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. If
they will transmit to the publisher any en-
craving or portrait from which copy may
be taken, the original shall be faithfully re-
turned, and shall likewise be remunerated
with copy of the work. In the first num-
Der il is proposed to give an account of the
Declarations of independence, from the first
motion that was made on the floor of con-
gress until its final passage into law, pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history finally, we promise to add to our
last number the Declaration of Indepen-
dence itself, with fac-simile engravings of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present un-
deraking, and we hope that it will be I'M
necessary to mention tina! no exertions on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession of OUT
project, which does indeed seem TO be de-
handed, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration OF
independence, since il is of very little i'm
port to become acquainted with mans
hand writing without previous knowledge
Of the man. The secret history of our De-
olarstion of independence, the lives of those
who haye affixed their signatures to thatin-
strument, accompanied by their Iikenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with fac
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts of that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
I. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in len numbers.
II. twill be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered to
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deiiy-
cry.
@Subscriptions will be received at the
Office of the Alexandria Gazette.
December go