Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-02
'ecIara,ion Of independence,
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE PUBLT.

\ 50 many subjects as haye been present.
ed for American Biography, the lives OF
those who have affixed their signatures 10
the Declaration Of Independence have been
overlooked or disrcgarded. The eyes OF
thousands haze dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced t. lie world l4at
g. these United Colonies were, ana OF rignt
Ought to be, free, sovereign, and ndepen-
dent states" while we are better acqualni-
cd with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many Of those illustrious men
who have added their signatures to that in
ytruinent. The founders of the only re-
naming republic On the globe, have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and it behoyes generous posterIty,
sensible of their Obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred debt, the more ditll.
cult does The payment become. Traits OF
individual character are fugitive and eva
i,escent; 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 CT the present attempt,
TO deal in that profusion of indiscriminste
and unsparing panegyric, so often and so
falsely digniGed with the 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 a development Of character.
Man is the creature of circumstance, and
we wish to shoH the progress of those pa
triots from their first resistance of colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions Of their Country's
independence. Ali 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
circumstances il their possession TO unfold
and ilustratestheir characters, shall be EN-
filled to a copy of the work 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. 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 shall be faithfully re-
tnrned. and shall likewise he remunerated
with a copy OF the work. In the first num-
her 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 numler the Declaration of lndepen-
dence itself, with facsimile eDgravines of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects of our present un-
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 posse ion Of our
project, which does indeed seen to be de-
! 1nanded, by the avidily SO recently display
! ed for the possession of the Declaration OF
independence, since it is of very little i'm
port to become acquainted with 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 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 len 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 delv-
cry.
n-Subscriptions>w be received at the
Office OF the Alexandria Gazette.
December29
Engineer Department,