Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-09
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLIC.

TT seems little SURPRISING that amongst
L so many subjects as have been 20 sent
ed for American Biography, the ives of
those who have affixed their signatures to
the Declaration Of Independence have been
overlooked or disregarded. The eyes OF
thousands have dweit with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
:. these United Colonies were, and OF right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent states;" while we are better acguaini-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many OF those illuslrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
s.rument. The founders of the only re-.
manning republic en- 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 the
payment of 80 sacred debt, the more diff
cul does the payment become. Trails Of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and if they are not snatched by
the hand Of the Geographic aIuse, at an ear
ly season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon parlake of the oblivion of the body
It,is, not the object of the present attempt,
to deal in that profusion Of indiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely dign6ed 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 a Development of character.
Man is the creature OF circumstance. aud
we wish tU 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
Ivy familiar acquaintance with the lives of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts and
circumstances ii their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to a copy of the work as recon-
pense. 1t iEcontemplated, wherever i is
,cticable, further to embellish the medi-
tated work with correct likenesses of the
subjects of Cur biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. For
this purpose we again solicit the assistance
of their surviving relatives and friends. If
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 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 maze on the floor of con-
gress until its final passage into law, a 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 engrayipes of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects Of our present un-
der.akipg, and we hope that il 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-
handed, by the avidily SO recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration of
Independence, since il is of very little i'm
port to become acquainted with a 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 ikenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with fac
smiles of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of that
interes.ingCrisis.
CONDITIONS.
|. The work will be published in num-
bers, or half volumes, Of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in ten numbers.
Ii. 1t will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered to
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
hat volume or number, payable OH deiiv-
cry.
U-Subscript;ons will be received at the
Office OF The Alexandra Gazette.
December29
Engineer Department,