Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-17
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PIJBJT

seems lltile surprising that amongst
:. so many subjects rs 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 al
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world THAI
these United Colonies were, ana of right
ought to be, Tree, sovereign, and indeper.
dent stitcs;" while we are better acquainl.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters Of many OF those illustri0us men
who have added their Signatures to that IN
s'rument The founders of the only re-
manning republic on 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 debt, the more diff
cult does the payment become Traits OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and If trey are not snatclied by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear.
y season, from the cold grasp of death, wild
soon partake of the oblivion of the bod w.
1t is not the object OF the present attempt,
to deal in tina, profusion of indiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, SO often and 50
falsely dignihed with the name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish to represent the charactcS
as they were; they stand in need OF no pa.
negyric and we earnestly solicit from The
surviving relations and friends of those re.
volutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to 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
an! undaunted champions of their couBtry's
independence. All this can only be done
ny familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish facts End
circumstances 10 their possession to untold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to copy of the work as recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever it 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. 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 a 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-
Der it is proposed to give an account Of the
Declaration of independence, from the frSt
motion that was made on the floor of COZ
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 engravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendI.
ously stated the objects of our present uR'
dertaking, and We hope that il will be W.
necessary TO mention that no eyertiOns on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF ON
project, which does indeed seem to be de-.
handed, by the avidny SO recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration OF
Independence, since il is of very little my
port to become acquainted with man's
hand writing without previous knowledge
Of the man. The secret history OF our Del
claration of Independence, the lives Of those
who have affixed their signatures to thatin'
strumenl, accompanied by their ikenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with !ae'
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of THAI
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
subscribers at two dollars and Fifty cents per
half volume or number, payable on deIlV'
cry.
0pSubscriptions will be received attic
Office OF the Alexandria Gazstte.