Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-06
By PAUL ALLEN, Esa.
~ TIE PUBLIC.

TO THE FUBLL.
EFT seems a little surprising that amorgs!
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 beer.
overlooked or disrrgarded. The eyes OF
thousands have dwclt with rapture upon the
document that ann0unced to the world tt,at
:'these United Colonies were, and OF right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent states" while we are betteracqualnt-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many of those illusiriOus men
who have added their signatures,to that in
strument. The founders of the only re-
naming republic en- TIE globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and il behoves generous Posterity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fine. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become. -Traits of
individual character are fugitive and eva
ne.cent; and if they are not snatched by
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 attempt,
to deal in that profusion of indiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, so often end so
falsely dignihed with the name of Biogra-
phy: 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.
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
aud undaunted champions of their country's
Independence. All this can only be done
Ivy 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 embellish 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 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 COPY Of the work. In the first num-
Der it 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 fac-simile engravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present un-
dertaking, and we hope that it will be un-
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-
manded, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration OF
independence, since ii 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-
CHARLTON of Independence, the lives of those
WHO have affixed their signatures to that in
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 that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
l. The work will be published in num-
bers, OF half volumes, Of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in ten numbers.
III. 1t will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered TO
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on defiv-
cry.
GFSubscriptions will be received al the
office OF the Alexandra Gazette.
December 60