Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-13
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO TIE PUBLIC.

1T seems \ little surprising that among.
50 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 rapture upon the
document that announced 10 the world that
these United Colonies were, and Of right
ought to he, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent states" while we are better acuuant-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
Tacters of many Of these iilustrious men
who have added their signatures to that IN
sirument. The founders of the only re-
naming republic en- the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone to their
graves, and il behoves generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, TO preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of 81 sacred debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become Traits of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and if they are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear.
~ season, from the cold grasp of death, viii
soon partake of the oblivion of the body
1t is not the object OF the present ATTEMPT,
10 deal in thai profusion of indiscriminate
and uIIsparing panegypc, so often md So
falsely digniied with the name OF i3iogra-
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, 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 fact, End
circumstances IL their possession TO untold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to a copy OF the work as a recon-
peDse. 1t is contemplated, wherever it is
practicable, further to embelIish the med-
tated work with correct likenesses of The
subjects of oui 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 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 num-
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 engravings OF
the signatures. We have now cpmpendi>
ously stated the objects of our present un-
dertaking, and We hope that it viii be un-
necessary to mention tina. no excrtions 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 50 recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration O.
independence, since i: is Of very little in1-
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 of those
who have affixed their signatures to thatin-
strun,ent, 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 tina.
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.
IL. Il will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered .
subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents r
half volume or number, payable on dell''
cry.
grSubscriptions will be received at!fe
office OF the Alexandra Gazette.
December99