Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-15
By PAUL ALLEN, ssa.
TO THE PUi2LE;

EFT seems a little surprising e'a,
so maBy Subjects as nave be- 'iiiie."s
ed for Americas Biography, the ~. =,
those who have affixed their signature :. ~
the Declaration Of Independence have bee.
overlooked or disrcgarded. The eyes of
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world that
g these United Colonies were, and OF right
ought 10 be, free. sovereign, and indcpen-
dent states" while we are better cqusin;.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters Of many Of those ilustrions men
who have added their signatures to that n:
strument. The founders OF the only re-.
naming republic en- the globe. have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and il beboVes generous posteritr,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred debt. the more dis.
cull 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.
ly season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon partake of the Oblivion of the body
1t is not the object OF the present attempt,
10 deal in that profusion of indiScrimipa,s
and unsparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely digniied with the name of Bioera-
ply: we wish to represent the characters
as they were they stand IL need Of no pa.
negy rio; and we earnestly solicit from the
surviving relations and friends of those re-
evolutionary patriots all the information that
will tend to development of character.
e he Of
we wish to show the progress of those pa
triots from their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stool forth the noble
and undaunted champions Of their ceuntrys
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, and
circumstances l., their possession 10 untold
and illustrate their characters, shall be ell
titled to copy OF the work as a recon-
pense. II is contemplated, wherever it is
practicable, further to enihellisb 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 eii-
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-
Ter il 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 lndtpe
! dence Itself, with fac-simile engrayines o!
! the signatures. We have now comlendi-
| nusly stated the objects of our present un-
| dertaking, and we hope that il will be I'M
necessary TO mention tina! no eXertions on
our part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession OF our
project, which does indeed seem TO he de-
! manded, by the avidily sorecently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration oil
| independence, since it is of very little I'M
| port to become acquainted with a mans
hand writing witheut previous knowledge
| of the man The secret history OF our De-
clarstion of Independence, the lives Of those
who have affixed their signatures TO thatin-
strument, accompanied by their Licensees,
and finally the Declaration itself with iac-
| SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view The prominent facts Of that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
|. The work will be published in num-
bers. or half volumes, of $50 pages octave,
and will be contained in len numbers.
H.. 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 de!i'-
! cry.
tTSubscriptions will be received atthe
! Office of The Alexandra Gazette.
December 90
Enminaar Danarfmant