Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-15
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO TIE PIHLN

I | seems little surprising that amongst
( = many sHhleC's IS have been sr+s nj
cd for American Biography, the lives O.
those who have Aglyr6 their signatures 70
the Declaration Independence have been
overlooked Or di,ragar,iad The eyes OF
thousands have dwell VITA rapture upon the
iocumCt that anno1ieed Ia the world riiat
" these l nitcd CotJbrs were, ana of right
ought 20 he. tree. sovereign. and indeprn-
dent states;" whiI9 we are betteracquain,.
ed with the handwriting than with The cha
ractcrs of many 'of those iIlustrious men
who have added their s'gn'irrcS to that m
srrument. The founders OF The ONLY re-
naming republic On the globe. have, ith
few splendid exceptions. gone 10 their
graves, AMI il bchoves generous poslcrity.
sensible ot their Obligations, 70 preserve
their fame. he longer We neglect he
payment % 50 sacred ;ebt, the more diff
cult does the payment become Trails OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
uescent: and il Trey are not snatched by
TIE hand Of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
j. season, from the cold graspof death, will
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
It is not tie object oil the present attempt,
aad unsparlng paneeync, so often nj 50
falsely digniGcd with The name OF Eiogra-
phy: we wish to represent The characters
a, they were they stand in need OF no pa
ncgyric and we earnest solicit from the
surviving relations and frenGs OF those re-
volutlonary patriots all the information that
will tend 20 development of character.
Man is the creature of circumstance. and
we wish to show the progress OF those pa
tr!ots from their first resistance OF coIonl1
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
ant undaUnted champions of their country's
independence All this can only be done
~ familiar Acquaintance with the lives OF
these men, and whoever OF the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts md
circumstances IL their POSSESSION TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, sh1lI be ell
titled to copy of the work as a recon-.
pense. 1t is contemplated. wherever it j:
practicable, further 10 enbellsh the med
tated work with correct likenesses OF the
subjects of Our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. 70.
this purpose we again solicit the assistance
of their surviving relatives and friends. Il
they will transmit TO the publisher any en-
craving or portrait from which a copy max
be taken, the original shall be faithfully re-
turned, and shall likewise be remunerated
with copy of the work. In the first num-
Der it is proposed to give an account OF The
Declaration of Independence, from the tls'
motion that was made on the floor OF con
gress until its final passage into a law, a pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to gu;
last number the Declaration of lndepen.
dence itself, with fac-simile engravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present IN
dertaking, and We hope that it will be ur-
necessary to mention that no exertions or
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF gu:
project, which does indeed seem to be lie
handed, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration 0!
Independence, since it is of very little in
port to become acquainted with mas
hand writing without previous knowledge
of the man. The secret history OF our De-
claration OF independence, the lives ofihCs
who have affixed their signatures TO tha.H-
strument, accompanied by their lkenesses'
and finally the Declaration itself with iac'
SMILES of the signatures, will bring intooFt
compact view the prominent facts Of tha'
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
|. The work will be published in nun
bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave
and will be contained in fen Numbers. !,
ii. 1t will be printed on fine paper naas
expressly for the purpose, and delivered %
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents Pc
half volume or number, payable on de:N
cry. 80,
FSubscriptons will be received a''''
office OF the Alexandria Gazette.
Decenber 90