Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-05
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLIC,

/ seems little surprising that amon9s.
Z 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 disrcgarded. The eyes of
thousands have dwelt with raptur- upon the
document that announced TO the world Tat
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought 10 be, free, sovereign, and indepen,
dent st trs;' willis we are better acQuaint-
ed with the handwriting than with The cha
racters of many of those il!u3irious men
who have added their signatures to that in
sirument The founders of the only re-
manning republic on The globe. have, " ith
a few splendid exceptions, gone TO their
graves, and il believes generous poslerity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. 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
nescent; amt ii they are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at anear-
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 proiusion Of iudiscrimnate
and unsparing panegyric, so often AMI 50
| falsely digniGed with the name OF Biogra-
| ply : we wish to represent the chara cter
as they were they stand in need of no pa
Degyric; aud we earnestly solicit from the
sur, wing relations and friends of those re-
volutionary patriots all the information has
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 colonel
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
ana undaunted champions of their country's
independence. All this can only be done
by familiar acquaintance with the lives o.;
these men, and whoever OF the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts and
circumstances in their possession TO untold
and illustrate their characters, shall he ell
titled to copy OF the work as recon-
pense. It is contemplated, wherever it is
practicable, further to enbelIisb the medi-
tated work with corTsct likenesses OF the
subjects of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. Flo:
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 nun.
Der il is proposed to give an account of the
Declaration of independence, from the frs
motion that was made on the floor OF con.
gress until its final passage into law, Pc
riod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to ouI
last number the Declaration of lndepen-
dence itself, with facsimile engravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present IN
dertaking, and We hope that it will be up-
necessary 10 mention that no exetion: or
our part shall be spared.
The>public are now in possession of on!
project, which does indeed seem to be de.
handed, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration @!
Independence, since il is sf 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 of those
who have affixed their signatures to tbatin.
strument, accompanied by their Iikenesses,.
and finally the Declaration itself with fac.
Smiles Of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of tia:
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
|. The work will be published in num-
bsrs, 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 Pef
half volume or number, payable on deliT'
cry. =,
GTSubscriptions will be received st!rf
Office OF the Alexandra Gazette
Decembe; GO