Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-02
By PAUL ALIEN, ESQ.
TO TIE pyTBJhT

seems = little surprising TIA. amongst
> 50 many sn'gccis rs have been present.
ed for American 3 OFT, ply, the lives Of
those who have affixed their signatures 10
the Declaration Of independence have becn
overlooked or disrcgarded. The ewes Of
thousands have dwell with rapture upon tie
document that announced To the world tia,
these United Colonies were, and OF rich.
ought to be, Tree, sovereign, and inicpcn.
dent sttrs;" while we are better acouaint-
ed with the handwriting than with The cha
racters OF many Of those iiustrous men
who have added their signatures to that NJ
s'rlment. The founders of the only r..
naming republic en- the globe. have. with
few splendid exceptions, gone to Their
graves, AMI il behoyes gen arous pos,critv
sensible of their obligations. to preserve
their fame: The longer we neglec, the
payment of 50 Sacred debt, the more diff
cult does tae payment become. Traits of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nesceni: and il Ibey are not snatched bv
tie hand of the Geographic Muse, at anesi-
" season, from the coldgrasp of death, will
soon partlke Of the oblivion of the BODY
It is not tie object OF the present attempt,
to deal in thai profuson of indiscriminatt
and unsparing panegyric, so often and 50
falsely dignIled with the name Of Biogra-
phy: we wish 20 represent the charactc
as they were; they stand in need OF no pa
ncgN tic; and we earnestly solicit from tle
surviving relations and friends of those re-
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to a deveIopeInent of character
Son is the creature OF circumstance, and
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa
triots f:om their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and uuIaunted champions Of their Counlry'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 untold
and illustrate their characters, shall be e..
titled to a copy Of the work as recon-.
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il i:
practicable, further to emhellish the med.
tated work with correct likenesses of the
subjects Of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. IoT
this purpose we again solicit the assistance
OF their surviving relatives and friends. Ii
they will transmit to the publisher any ell
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 Dum-
Der it is proposed to giveIan account OF the
Declaration of independence, from the first
motion that was made on the floor Of con-
gress until its final passage into law, a Pc
Rod embracing much curious and sccrtt
history: finally, we promise TO add to our
last number the Declaration of Indepea.
dence itself, with fac-simile engrayiDss OF
the signatures. We have row compendI-
ously stated the objects of our present W.
dertaking, and We hope that it will be up-
necessary to mention that no exertion: OIL
our part shall be spared.
The public arc now in possession OF cur
project, which does indeed seem 10 be &C.
manded, by the avidily so recently display
ed for the possession OF the Declaration Oh
independence, since it is of very little I'M
port to become acquainted with man
band writing without previous knowledg
OF the man The secret history OF our De
claration OF independence, the lives OF those
who have affixed their signatures to thatin'
strunent. accompanied by their 'ikeDesses
and finally the Declaration itself with TAG
SMILES of the signatures, will bring Intton'r
compact view the prominent facts Of ina
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
/. The work will be published in mum
bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave
and will be contained in ten numbers. ;,
III. 1t will be printed on fine paper mace
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 70
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents PEI
half volume OF number, payable on deIH
cry. ,.h.
n.-Subscriptions will be received at'h'
office OF the Alexandra Gazette.