Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-11
By PAUL ALLEN, ESQ.
To TIE PUBLIC.

TT SCENE title surprising that amongst
soinany subjects rs have been present
81 for American biography, the lives OF
those who have affixed their signatures 10
the. Declaration of independence have been
overlooked or disrsgarded. The eyes o.
tI,4usaads have dwelt with rapture upon the
document that announced to the word that
( tlssa United Colonies were, and q riglt
ougAl 70 he, free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent 81 ti's:" Isbiic we are better acquaint-
ed with tie handwriting than with The cha
racers OF iDany of those ilus,r;ous men
who have added their Signatures to that in
srument. The founders of The only re-.
naming republic On the globe. have, with
a few splendid exceptions, gone 10 their
graves. and il beloycs generous poslerity.
sensible oi their obligations, TO preserve
their fame. The longer we neglect The
payment Uf sosacred debt. the more ditE
cult does the payment become. Trails of
individual character are fugitive and eva
nescent; and ii they are not snatchcd by
the hand OF the Geographic Muse, at IN car
Is season, from the coldgrasp Of death, will
soon partake Of the oblivion Of the body
ii is not the object OF The present attempt.
10 deal in that profusion of indiscriminatc
and unsparing- -panegyric, SO often and so
falsely digritied with The name OF Biogra-
ply: we wish to represent tie 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
viii tend 10 Development Of character.
Nan is the creature of circumstance. and
we wish 10 show the progress of those pa
trots FROM their first resistance OF colonial
aggression, until they stood forth the noble
and undaunted champions of their coun'rys
Independence. al this cAn only be done
by a familiar acquaintance with the lives of
these men, and whoever of the surviving
friends or relatives will furnish fact. and
circumstances il their possession 10 unfold
and illustrate their characters, shall be ell
titled to copy OF the work as recon-
pense. Ii is contemplated, wherever il is
practicable, further 10 emlelIish the medi-
tated work with correct likenesses of the
subjects Of onr biography, executed by the
most eminent artists III the country. For
this purpose we again solicit the assistance
of their suryiving relatives and friends. Ii
they will transmit 10 the publisher any en-
craving or portrait from which a copy may
be taken, the originarshal be faithfully re-
turned, and shall Likewise be remunerated
with a cory of the work. In the first num-
Der i, is proposed to give an account Of the
Declaration Of independence, from the first
motion that was mace on the floor of con-
gress until lis final passage into law, Pc
riod embracing much curious and secret
history: finally, we promise to add to Our
last number the Declaration of Indepen.
dence Itself, with fac-simile ebgravines of
the signatures. We have now compendi-
ous!v stated the objects OF Our present IN
dcrlaking, and we hope that it will be I'M
necessary 10 mention that no exertions on
our part shall be spared.
The pubic are now in possession Of our
project, which does indeed seem to be de-
manJed, by the svidiiy 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 a mans
hand writing without a previous knowledge
Of The man. The secret history OF our De-
c'aratjon Of independence, the lives oftEosc
who have affixed their signatures 10 thatin-
strument, accompanied ly their ikenesses.
and finally the Declaration itself with fac
SMILES Of the signatures, viii bring into one
compact view The prominent facts Of that
interesting crisis.
CONDITIONS.
1.-The work will be Published in num-
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 70
subscribers at two dollars and fifty ccn:s per
half volume or number, payable on deiy-
cry.
-g.TSubscriptions will be received 1.-THE
office OF the Alexandra Gazette.
December %
Engineer Department,