Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-16
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
to- TIL, pyJRIN

L seems little surprising that amongst
I. 50 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 disrcgarded. The eyes of
thousands have dwe!t with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world tnat
g. these United Colonies were, and of right
ought TO be, free, sovereign, and indcpen.
dent stltes;" while we are better aCquan,.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters of pany of those illustrious men
who have added their Signatures to that III
srument. The founders of the Only re-.
naming republic en- the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone to their
graves, AMI it behoves generous posterty.
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. Ihe longer we neglect The
payment of SO sacred debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become. Traits ui
Individual character are fugitive and eva
-nescent; AMI if trey are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
" season, from the cold grasp of death, viii
soon partake of the Oblivion of the bod "
II is not tie object OF the present attempt,
10 deal in thai profusion Of indiscriminah
and unsparng panegyric, SO often and -
falsely digniiied with The name OF Riogra.
ply: we wish to represent the characters
as they were they stand in need OF no pa
negy ric !; and VIC earnestly solicit from the
surviving relations and friends of those re-
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to development of character.
Mn is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa.
triots from their first resistance of colonnia
aggression. until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions of their counlrys
Independence All this can only be done
Ivy familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of the survivin.
friends or relatives will furnish facts md
circumstances ih their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, Slall be en-
titled TO a copy Of the work as recon-.
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il IS
practicable, further to enbellisb tie 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. It
they will transmit to the publisher any en-.
craving or portrait from which copy mag
be taken, the original shall be faithfully re-
turned, and shall likewise be remunerated
with copy of the work. In the first num-
her it is proposed to give an account OF the
Declaration of independence, from the first
motion that was made on the floor Of COR
gress until its final passage into law, Pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to OUT
last number the Declaration of lndepen.
dence itself, with fac-simile eugravings q
the signatures. We have now compendf.
ously stated the objects of our present ua-
dertaking, and VIC hope that il will be un'
necessary 10 mention tina! no eyertions On
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF our
project, which does indeed seem 10 be dey
handed, by the avidity SO recently displar:
ed for the possession Of the Declaration Of
Independence, since it is of very little iY,
port to become acquainted with a mans
hand writing without previous knowledge
Of the man The secret history OF our De-
claration of independence, the lives oftbose
who have affixed their signatures to thatlH-
strumenl, accompanied by their likeDesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with iac'
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts OF thai
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
l. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave
and will be contained in ten numbers.
III. II will be printed on fine paper maze
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 10
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable OH delI''
cry. Il.
.trSubscriptions will be received at the
Office OF the AlexaDdaa Gazette.