Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-23
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO TIE PUBIC.


seems little ,crprising tiat amongs,
Y 50 'Eany subjects IS have been present
Cd for American .BDgraphy, the lives OF
those who have allix"d iheir signatures 10
the Declaration of Independence have been
overlooked or disragarded. The eyes of
thousands hav" dwell wifi rapture upon the
document that announced To the world that
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought 10 be, Tree, sovereign, and indeprn-
dent sttcs;' while we are better acquan,.
ed with The Handwriting than with the cha
raclers OF many OF those illasiriors men
who have added their sign lures 20 that IL
sIrument. The founders of The only re-
naming republic on The globe. have, with
q few splendid exceptions. gone TO their
graves, and il behoves generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of 50 sacred debt, The more diff
cult does the payment become. Traits OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and if rbey are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
" season, from the COLI grasp of death, will
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
II is not f.e object OF the present attempt,
TO deal in that proiusion of ihdiscriminate
and unsparing panegyrc, so often and SO
falsely digniGed with The name OF Biogra-
oily: we wish to represent the characles
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 10 show the progress of those pa
triots from their first resistance OF colonial
aggression, until they ST tod forth the noble
aud undaunted champions of their couniry's
independence All this can only be done
Ly familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will iurnish facts End
circumstances ia their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall he en-
titled to a copy of the work as recon-
pense. Ii is contemplated, wherever IT IS
practicable, further to enlbelIish the medi
tated work with correct Licensees 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 faithfulyre
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 first
gress until its final passage ito law, pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise 10 add to ouT
last number the Declaration Of lndepen:
dence itself, with fac-simile engravines Of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present un-
dertaking, and we hope that it will be IN
necessary to mention tina! no eYertions on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF our
project, which does indeed seem TO be de-
manded, by the avidiiy so recently display:
ed for the possession of the Declaration o!
Independence, since it 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-
claration Of Independence, the lives ofthose
who have affixed their signatures to thatln-
strument, accompanied BY their likenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with FAC
SMILES Of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts oil that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
l. The work will be published in NUM-
ber,, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave
and will be contained in ten numbers.
ii. II will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 10
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deiH-
cry. -.
GFSubscript;ons will be received at're
office OF The Alexandra Gazette.
De,sntes 60