Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-04
BIZ PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLIC.

II i
so many subjects as have been iresent-
ed for American Biography, the lives o.
those who have affixed their signatures TO
the Declaratio,iot independence have beer
overlooked or disrcgar,ied. The eyes OF
thousands have dwell with rapture upon the
document that announced to the world tSat
6 these United Colonies were, and OF right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent statss;" while we arc better acquaint-
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many OF those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in
strument. The founders OF the only re-
naming republic en- the globe, have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone to their
graves, and il behoves a generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred debt, the more diff
cub does the payment become. Traits OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
nesceDt; and it they are not snatched by
the hand of the Geographic Muse, at an ear
ly season, from the colo grasp of death, viii
soon parake of the oblivion of the body
1t is not the object OF the present attempt.
to deal in that proiusion of indiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, so often and SO
falsely digni6ed with til name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish to represent The characters
as they were they stand in need Of no pa
negyric 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.
Man is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish to show the progress OF those pa
triots from their first resistance OF colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions of their CouDtry's
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 facts and
and illustrate their characters, shall he EN-
titled to a copy OF the woik as recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever it is
practicable, further TO embellish 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. II
| they will transmit to the publisher any en-.
! craving or portrait from which copy may
| be taken, the original shall be faithfully re-
| turned, and shall likewise be rcmunerated
with copy of the work. In the first num-
, her il is proposed to give all account of the
Declaration of Independence, from the first
| motion that was made on the floor Of con-
eress until its final passage into law, pc
| Rod embracing much curious ard secret
history finally, we promise to add to our
last number the Declaration of lndepcn-
! dence itself, with fac-simile engravings of
| the signatures. We have now compendi-
! ously stated the objects of our present I'M
/ deltaking, and we hope that it will be uR-
! necessary 10 mention that no exertions on
I: our part shall be spared.
/ The public are now in possession of our
! project, which does indeed seem TO he de-
! manded, by the avidiiy so recently display
J ed for 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-
clarat;on of independence, the lives those
! who have affixed their signatures to tbatin-
! strument, accompanied by their likenesses,
! 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 num-
! bers, or half volumes, of $50 pages octave,
! and will be contained in Ten numbers.
II. 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.
GFSubscript;ons will be received at The
office OF The Alexandra Gazette.
December 60
Engineer Department,
n. q Iolo