Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-17
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
TO THE P{TPTT

L seems little surprising that amongst
&. so many subjects as have been pres nt-
ed for American Biography, the lives OF
those who have affixed their signatures to
the DeclaralionOf independence have been
overlooked or disregarded. The eyes of
thousands have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced 10 the wur,d t.at
these United Colonies were, and of right
ought to be, free, sovereign, and inderen-
dent states;" while we are bettera cqu mt
ed with the handwriting than with the cha
racters of many OF those illustrious men
who bave added their signatures to that IN
strument. The founders of the only re-
manning republic on the globe. have, with
few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves, and ii behoves generous posterity,
sensible of their obligations, to preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect the
payment of so sacred debt, the more ditfi.
cult does the payment become. Traits OF
individual character are fugitive AMI 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,
TO deal in that profusion of ndiscriminate
and unsparing panegyric, so often md So
talseI y digni6ed with the name OF Riogra-
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.
voIutona:y patriots all the information that
will tend to Development of character.
Nan 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 country'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
circumstances il their possession TO untold
and illustrate their characters, shall be Ell
titled to a copy Of the work as a recon-
pense. 1t is contemplated, wherever it IS
practicable, further to embelish the medi.
lated 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 remunerated
with copy of the work. 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 lndepen..
dence itself, with fac-simile engrayings OF
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ously stated the objects Of our present un-
derlaking, and we hope that 1t will be IN
necessary to mention tina! no exertlons Oh
our part. shall be spared.
The public are now in possession of OUT
project, which does indeed seem to he de-
handed, by the avidity so entity 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 oi our De-
claration OF Independence, the lives Of those
who have affixed their signatures to thatin-
strument, accompanied by their likenesses,
and finally the Declaration itself with fae'
SMILES of the signatures, will bring into one
compact view the prominent facts Of tba!
interesting crisis.
| CONDITIONS.
| |. The work will be published ia num-
bsrs, or half volumes, of $50 pages ociavo,
and will be contained in ten numbers.
ii. II will be printed on fine paper made
expressly for the purpose, and delivered 10
| subscribers at two dollars and fifty cents PEI
half volume or number, payable on deli''
cry. 49,.
i IrSubscriptions will be received at lhe
Office OF the Alexandra Gazette.
! Dsesnber 20