Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-23
BIZ PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE, pUBLT

/ III L
4 so many subjects IS 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 disregaried. The eyes o,
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought to be, free, sovereign, AMI indepen.
dent statcs;" while we are better acqusint-
ed with the handwriting than with the che.
raCters of many Of those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
sIrument The founders of The only re.
manning republic OH the globe, have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone TO their
graves, and il behoyes generous posterity.
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of SO sacred a debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become. Trails OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
ncscent; 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 papegyric, so often and so
falsely dignified with the name OF Bogra-
: 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 develOpement of character.
Man is the creature of circumstance. and
we wish to shuT The progress of those pa
triots from their frs, resistance OF colonial
aggression. uni! they stood forth the noble
and undamted champions Of their Counirv'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 fact, and
circumstances IL their possession TO unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be ell
titled to copy OF the work as recon-
pense. II is contemplated, wherever it is
practicable, further to en,beliish 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. 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 remuDerated
with copy of the work. In the first num-
Ter it is proposed To give ain 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
riod 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 IN.
dertakine, and we hope that it will be IN
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 10 he de-
manded, by the avidiiy 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 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 thatin-
strument, accompanied by their likenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with tac-
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
I. 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 10
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deliv-
cry.
trSubscriptiops will be received at the
office OF the Alexandra Gazette.
December 90