Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-28
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO TIE PUBLIC.

i seems intle surprising that 3UlonpsI
i SO 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 disregarded. The eyes Of
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon The
document that announced to the world that
"tbese United Colonies were, and of rsbt
ought to be, free. sovereign, and indepen-
dent states;" while we are better acouain,.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters Of many OF those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
slrament. The founders of the only re.
naming republic on the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and it behoves generous posterity
sensible Of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect tbs
payment Of so sacred a debt, the more diff.
cult does the payment become. TRAITS of
individual character are fugitive ord eva.
nescent; and if they arc n". snatcbed bv
the hand of the Geographic Muse. at an ear.
ly season, from the cold grasp of death will
soon partake of the oblivion Of the body
1t is not the object Of the present a,tempt
to deal in that profusion Of indiscriminste
and unsparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely digni6ed with the name of Biogra.
ply: 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-.
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to development of character,
Nan is the creature of circumstance. and
we wis.ltO show the progress of those pa.
triots from their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions Of their country'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 and
circumstances il their possession 10 unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to copy of the work as a recon-
pense. It's contemplated, wherever il is
practicable, further to embelIish the medi-
tated work with correct lkenesses 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 10 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 a 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, Pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history finally, we promise to add to our
last number the Declaration of Indepen.
dence itself, with facsimile engravines OF
+ the signatures. We have now comperdi-
ously stated the objects of our present un-
dertaking, and we hope that il will be I'M
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 to be de-
handed, by the svidity so recently display
ed for the possession Of the Declaration OF
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 oftbose
who have affixed their signatures TO thatn-
strumcnt, accompanied by their likenesses,
aud finally the Declaration itself with fac
smiles of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
|. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, Of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in ten q piers.
III. II will be printed on fif3e paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered to
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deliv-
cry.
pSubscriptions will be received at the
office OF the Alexandria Gazette.
December 90