Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-27
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLN

I sceHs title surprising tnat amongst
! so many subjects as have been present..
ed Tor American Biography, the lives of
those who have affixed their signatures to
the Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or disregarded. The eyes Of
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and iDdcpen.
dent states;" while we are acquaint-
ed with the handwriting than With the cha-
racters of many Of those illuslrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
srument. The founders of the only re-.
naming republic en- the globe, have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone TO their
graves, and il behoves d generous pos'erity.
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of 81 sacred debt, the I0ore diff
cult does the payment become Traits of
Individual character are fugitive and eva
nesccnl; and it they are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
" season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
1t is not tie object OF the present attempt
10 deal in that prolusion OF indiscriminah
and unsparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely dignihed with the name oil Biogra-
ohy: 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.
voluiionasy patriots all the information that
will tend TO a development of character.
Man is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa
triots from their first resistance OF coIonia
aggression, until they ST od forth the noble
and undaunted champions of their country1s
independence All this can only be done
by a familiar acquaintance with the lives OF
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts and
circumstances IL their possession 10 unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to copy Of the work as recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il IS
practicable, further to embelish 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
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
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 secret
history: finally, we promise to add to our
last number the Declaration of lndepen..
dence itself, with fac-simile engrayings CT
the signatures. We have now compendr-
ously stated the objects of our present IN
dertaking, and we hope that il will be IN
necessary to mention that no exertions on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF our
project, which does indeed seem 10 be de-
handed, by The avidity so recently display.
ed for the possession of the Declaration o!
independence, since il is of very little lnl-
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 ofthose
who have affixed their signatures to thatln-
strumenl, accompanied by their ikenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with tac-
Smiles of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts OF thai
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
!. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, Of $50 pages octavo'
and will be contained in ten numbers.
H.. II will be printed on fine paper MADE
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 70
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deii''
cry. at.
rtrSubscriptions will be received at'ne
Office OF The Alexandra GaZette.
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