Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-03
By PAUL ALLEN, Ese.
TO TIE pEELN.

l seems little SURPRISING that amongst
4 so many subjects rs have been present
cd for American Biography, the lives of
those who have affixed their signatures TO
the Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or dis~garled. The eyes of
thousands nave dwclt with rapture upon the
document that announced 10 The world that
these United Colonies were, and Of right
ought 10 be, free, sovereign, and indepen.
dent states;" while we are better acausnt-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
raCtes of many OF those illusirious mer
who have added their Signatures to that in
sfrument. The founders of the only re.
naming republic on the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gore 10 their
graves, AMI IL behores generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of 50 sacred debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become -Traits Of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent: and if trey are net snatched by
the hand of the Biographic Muse, at IN ear
ly season, from the cold grasp of death, viii
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
II is not the object OF the present attempt,
to deal in that profusion of indiscriminate
and uasparing panesyric, so often and so
false y digniGed with the name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish tn represent the characters
as they were they stand in need Of no pa
negyric and VIC earnestly solicit from the
surviving relations and.friends Of those re-
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to dcvelopement of character.
Man is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish 10 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
by familiar acquaintance with the lives of
these men, and 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 recon.
pense. II is contemplated, wherever il is
practicable, further to enlbellisb 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. IL
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.
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-
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 eHgrayings OF
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present IN
deriaking, and we hope that il will be un-
necessary to mention tina! no eYenions Oh
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession of our
project, which does indeed seem 10 be de-
manded, by The avidity 50 recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration Of
Independence, since il is .! very little i'm
port TO become acquainted with mans
hand writing without previous knowledge
Of the man. Thesecret history OF our De-
claration Of Independence, the lives ofthose
who have affixed their signatures to thatih-.
stEsmeni, 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.
|. The work will be published in NUM-
bers, 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 to
subscribers at two dollars and fifty ccntsp per
half volume or number, payable OH DELFT
cry.
rSubscriptions will be received atthe
Office OF the Alexandria Gazette.
December 90