Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-22
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PCBLN

I L seems lille surprising that amongst
4 so many Subjects as have been present
ed fox American Biography, the lives Of
those WHO have affixed their signatures 10
the Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or disrcgarded The eyes If
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world t..at
these United Colonies were, an of right
ought 10 be, free, sovereign, and indeptn.
dent statfs;" while we are betteracquant.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many OF those ilustrious men
who have added their signatures to that M.
s'rument. The founders of the only re.
naming republic On the globe, have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone to their
graves, AMI il behoves generous posterity,
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; and il they are net snatched By
the hand OF the Geographic Muse, at an ear
~ season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon par'ake of the oblivion of the body
It is not tie object OF the present attempt,
10 deal in that profusion Of indiscriminatc
and unsparing, /panesyric, so often and 20
falsely dignibed with The name OF Riogra-
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.
volu'iona:y patriots all the information that
Will tend to Development of character.
Nan is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish To show the progress of those pa.
triots from their first resistance of coIonid
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
AMI undaunted champions of thercountrys
independence. All this can only be done
y a familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts End
circumstances il their possession TO untold
and illustrate their characters, hall be en-
titled to a copy of the work as a recon-.
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever il Is
practicable, further to enlbellish the medi.
tated work with correct likenesses of The
subjects of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in The country. Fc
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 remuneratea
with copy of the work. In the first mum.
Der 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, 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 engravipgs OF
the signatures. We have now compendf-
ously stated the objects of our present ur.
dertaking, and we hope that it will be uD-
necessary to mention that no eyertions oa
our part.shall he spared.
The public are now in possession Of our
PROJECT, which does indeed seem 10 lie re.
handed, by the svidiiy so recently display:
ed for the possession of the Declaration OF
independence, since it 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 cftlose
who have affixed their signatures to thatir.
strument, 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 nun.
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
half volume or number, payable on dell''
cry.
ErSubscriptions will be received atthe