Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-20
By PAUL ALLEN, Ess.
TO The PUBLIC.

L seems little surprising that amongst
<. so many subjects as have been present
ed for American Biography. the lives OF
those vino have affixed their signatures to
the Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or diSregarded, The ewes Of
thousands have dweIt with rapture upon the
document that announced t. the world iad
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought 10 be, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent statas;" while we are better acauaint-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters of many of those llustrious men
who have added their signatures to that M
strument. The founders of the only re.
naming republic on the globe. have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone to their
graves, ani il behoves generous pos,erity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglec, the
payment Of 50 sacred debt, the more diff.
cult does the payment become. Trails Of
individual character are fugitive and eva.
nescent; and If they are not snatched bv
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
" season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon partake of tine oblivion of the bod v
It is not the object o! the present attempt,
10 deal in that profusion of indiscriminate
and unSparing panegyric, so often md 50
falsely dignifed with the name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish to represent the characters
as they were; they stand in need of no pa.
neg}gic and We earnestly solicit from the
surviving relations and friends OF those re.
evolutionary patriots allthe information that
will tend to development of Character.
Nan is the creature OF circumstance. aud
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa
triots from their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
ant undaunted champions of their country'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 III their possession to unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be en-
titled to a copy of the work as recon-
pense. II is contemplated, wherever it Is
practicable, further to embelIish the med.
tated work with correct likenesses of The
subjects of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. Fer
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 sha il be faithfully re-
turned, and shall likewise be remunerated
with copy of the work 3 In the first num-
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 engravings OF
the signatures. We have now compendi.
ously stated the objects of our present I'm.
dertaking, and We hope that it will be I'M
necessary to mention that no exertions on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF OUT
project, which does indeed seem TO he de.
handed, by the avidty so recently display.
ed tor the possession of the Declaration OF
Independence, since il is of very little i'm.
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 ofthose
who have affixed their signatures to thatin-
strument, accompanied by their Iikenesses,
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 mum.
bers, or half volumes, Of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in ten numbers.
IL. 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 deliv.
cry.
DrSubscriptions will be received tthe
Office OF the Alexandra Gazette.