Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-18
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PLIRLM

4 / seems a little surprising tha; amongst
so many subjects IS have been present
Ell for American Biography, the lives OF
those who have affixed their signatures to
the Declaration OF independence have been
overlooke or disrcgar'ied The ewes Of
Thousands havp dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
these United Colonies were, and of riehl
ought to be, iree. sovereign, and indepen.
lent st strs;" while I'VE are better acGusin,.
ID with The h ndwriting than with the cha
raciers of many OF those illuslrious men
who have added their signature, to that N.
sirumsns. The founders of The only re.
manin> republic on the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone TO their
graves, ana il behoves generous posterity,
.ensible 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 AMI eva.
-nescent; and il Trey are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, al an ear
y season, from the COLI grasp of death, viii
soon p1rtake Of the obiviGn of tie boiy-
II is not TIE object OF the present attempt
10 deal in thai profusio. of adiscrminate
and unsparing pane.y.ic, SO often nj 50
falsely disnitied with the name OF Riogra.
rhy: we wish tn represent the characteks
a. they were, they stand in need oi no pa.
neg nc and we earnestly solicit IRON the
surviving rel,tioas and friends OF those re.
volnioua.y patriots all the information that
will teni to development Of Character.
Nan is the creature OF circumstance, aud
we wish iDshow the progress of those pa
trioiS from their first resistance O. colonial
aggression. until they st.Iot forth the noble
IN! uncHunted champions Of their Coubtrys
Independence. All this can only be done
by familiar acquaintance with the lives Of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relative, will furnish fact, md
circumstances ii their possession to untold
and illustrate their characters, shall lie en-.
titled to copy of the work as a recon.
pense. 1t is contemplated. wherever it is
practicable, further TO enbeliish 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 ID
they will transmit to the publisher any en-
craving or portrait from which copy mY
he taken, the original shall be faithfully re.
turned, and shall likewise be remuDerated
with copy of the work. In the first mum.
Der it is proposed to give an account of the
Declaration of independence, from the lirst
motion that was made on the floor of con.
gress until its final passage into law, PEE
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to OUT
last number the Declaration of Indepen::
oence it.elf, with fac-simile engrayngs Of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present un'
dertakins, and we'hope that it will be ua'
necessary 10 mention tina! no exertions on
our part shah he spared.
The public are now in possession Of otr
project, which does indeed seem TO be de,
manded, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession Of the Declaration o!
Independence, since it is of very little inr
port to become acquainted with mans
hand writing without previous knowledge
OF the man The secret history OF our De-
CHARLTON Of independence, the lives oflbose
who have affixed their signatures to thatln'
strumenI, accompanied by their likenesse',
and finally the Declaration itself with iac-
Smiles of the signatures, will bring ntooR
compact view the prominent facts OF thai
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.
IL. II 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 delF'
cry.
1JSubscriptions will be received atthe
office of the Alexandra Gazette.