Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-14
Br PAUL ALLEN, Esa.
TO THE PUBLIC.

i seems little surprising that amongst
Il so many subjects as have been present.
ed for American Biography, the lives Of
those who have affixed their signatures ,O
the Declarationof independence have been
overlooked or disregarded. The ewes Of
thousands have dwell with rapture upon thu.
document that announced to the world tias
g these United Colonies were, and Of rish.
ought TO be, free, sovereign, and indepep.
dent states;" while we are better acauaipi.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters of many OF those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
strument. The founders of the only re.
naming republic on the globe. have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and il behoves generous postertv
sensible of their obligations, TO Preserve
their fame. The longer we neglec, the
payment of so sacred debt, the more GifS.
culi docs the payment become. Trails Of
individual character are fugitive and eva.
nescent; and If they are not snatcbed bv
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear.
ly season, from the COLI! grasp of death, will
soon partake Of the oblivion Of the bod "
II is not the object OF the present attempt,
TO deal in that profusion Of ndiscrimina,e
and msparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely digniiied with the name OF Biogra.
ply: we wish 10 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.
Man is the creature OF circumstance, and
we wish TO show the progress OF those pa.
triots from their first resistance OF colonial
aggression. until they stood forth the noble
AMI undaunted champions OF their country's
independence. All this can only be done
10y a familiar acquaintance with the lives of
these men, md whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts and
circumstances il their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to copy Of the work as a recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il is
practicable, fnrthc: to cmbellish 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 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 con-
oress until its final passage into law, pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history finally, We promise to add to our
las, number the Declaration of lndepen-
dence itself, with fac-simile engravings OF
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present I'M
deraking, and we hope that it will be IN.
necessary 10 mention Mat no exertiOns on
our part shall be. pared.
The public are now in possession Of our
project, which does indeed seem 10 be de-
manded, by the avidily 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 ofhose
who have affixed their signatures to thatin-
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 Of thai.
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
I. The work will be published in nun-
bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in len numbers.
II. II will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, aad delivered TO
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deliv-
cry.
JTSubscript;ens will be received at The
Office OF he Alexandria Gazette.
December 20