Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-21
By PAUL ALLEN, Esq.
TO THE PUBLIC.


ET seems little surprising tia; amongst
{ so many subjects rs have been Present.
ed for American Biography, the lives q,
those who have affixed their signatures f,
the Declaration of independence have beer
overlooked or disrcgarded. The eyes q,
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the worlt TIA,
s. these United Colonies were, 2ni of yigbt
ought to be, free, sovereign, and iudcpCp.
dent states;" while we are better acQusInt.
ed with the handwriting than with the cha.
racters Of many OF those illuslrious men
who have added their signatures to that in.
slrument. The founders of the only re.
manning republic en- the globe, have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, anu il hehoyes generous poslerity.
sensible OF their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect tbe
payment of so scored a debt, the more Diff.
cult does the payment become Traits Of
individual character are fugitive and eva.
nescen,; and if they are not snatched bv
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear.
Iy season, from the cold grasp of death, will
soon p1rtake-ef tie oblivion of the body
1t is not tie object oi the present ATTEMPT
to deal in that proiIsiol OF indiscriminate
and unsparing panpgyric, so often and 50
falsely dignified with the name of BiOgra-
ply we wish To represent the characters
As they were /, they stand in need Of no pa
neg rio and we earnestly solicit from the
surviving rel ,tons and friends OF those re-
volu'ionary patriots all TIL information hat
will tend to a devcop-mcn. of Chara ter.
Nan is the creature OF circumstance. and
we wish ~ show ,.c progress of those pa
triot> from their first resistance OF colonial
aggression, uni! tn ST oil forth tIenuble
an undaunted champions at their uunlry's
independ. ice. Ali this can only be done
ny d familiar acquaintance with the lives OF
these men. and whoe;er OF the surviving
friends or relatives wili furnish f,ct, and
circumst noes i. their possession 10 uUto!d
and illustrate Their characters, shall he ell
titled to copy OF the work as a recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever II is
practicable, further to .nbeliish the meli-
patchwork with correct likenesses of the
subjects of our biography, executed by the
most eminent artists in the country. .or
this purpose we again solicit The assistance
II
they will transmit 10 the publisher any en-
craving or portrait from which copy may
be taken, the original shall be faithfully re-
turned, and shall likewise be remuDerated
with copy of the work. In the hrsi nun
her il is proposed to give an account OF the
Declaration 0. indept Hdence, from the first
motion that was made on the floor of con.
gress until lis final passage into a law, pc
Rod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to our
last number the Declaration of Ind, pen.
icnce itself, with fac-simile engravings Of
the signatures. We have now compendi.
ously stated The objects of our present un-
hrrlaking. and We hope that it will be IN
necessary TO mention that no cxertions on
eur part shall be spared.
The public are now in possession of our
project, which toes indeed seem 10 be de-
handed, by the avidity so recently display
ed for the possession of the Declaration Of
Independence, since il is of very little i'm
port to become acquainted with mans
hand writing without previous knowledg
of the man. The secret history OF our De-
clar.tion of independence, the lives oftEose
who have affixed their signatures to thatir.
strument, accompanied by their likenesses,
and finally the Declaration Itself with tao
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view The prominent facts Of tba:
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.
ii. Ii will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered to
subscribers at two dollars and fifty centspe
half volume or number, payable Oh deliy-
cry.
EFSubscript,ons will be received at the
office OF The Alexandra Gazette.
December99
IN m