Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-02-14
By JOHN S.qNDERSON.
TO THE PURJJC

TO THE PUBLIC.
When ne consider the personal or.I;,;o.
OF the statesmen whose names are afyed h
the Declaration of independence. the nsr;.
lous occasion which demanded the evert;on
OF their wisdom and delberation. and thu
influence OF their councils on the interests ~;
mankind, we must acknowledge thai yav =,
rarely more imposing spectacle has been
offered to the world, and we shall seek in
VAIN IN the annals OF nations, for an event
more worthy OF cemmemoration, and of being
cherished forever in the hearts Of grateful
and generous people. The love of indeDen.
dence is interviewer with the. frame and con.
stitutlon of the human mind. 1t is aJmost
the tlrst sentiment that anlmates the infants
features in the cradle =; and amongst all the
actions and enterprises Of man, none has
awaked into activity greater exertion Of the
ylrtuous energies Of his nature, none has ex.
cited a greater warmth of generation, and
has more imperous claims upon our graft.
tude, than resistance TO tyranny and political
aggression.
In all republican states the first tribute Of
genius has BEEN paid to The patriot or the he.
TO who has promoted the cause OF liberty and
maintained the independence and dignity 6,
man. The animated canvas and breathing
marble have rescued his features from The
grasp of death, and the pen Of the historian
has inscribed the achievements to the impe.
rishable records OF fame 1t would indeed
be no favorable prognostic of the perpetuIly
OF our republican institutions to discover an
nsensibility to the obligations we owe the
memory OF the illustrious patrons of American
freedom. They have raised US, by thei!
magnanimity, from the arbitrary dominion Of
a foreign power, TO the distinguished elevation
OF a sovereign and independent people; they
have asserted and maintained the imprescr!p.
tiole rights Of humanity by the mutual
pledge of their pledge Of their lives, theirfoT'
tunes and their sacred bonors )" and, as long
as virtue holds her empire in the hearts o:
their successors, the example OF these gene
rous benef8ctors will not be lost to the world
their names will not pass away nor be forgot.
ten, or their glorious deeds be contOundedil
the common and casual transaction of life -
Ingratitude is vice that in nations, as well
rs individuals, indicates the last degree Of
degeneracy and corruption /; it is vice thai
implies the absence of every virtue ; ii vas
in the age of Calgula that the name OF tie
Scipios was prescribed, that the state Of
Brutus brought death on its possessor.
" The glory of our ancestors is the ghlOl
posterity," and the homage of the living can
not be offered to the merits OF the illustrOI
dead with an effectual or sterile admiration
Great and splendid actions will seldom be
achieved by men who have humble or oFd'
narv objects in prospect. II is BY conlemPIa'
ting the life and character OF those who are
marked out from the multitude by their emil
nent qualities, that we become emulouSS o.
their virtues and their renown. he tIophieS
of DIiltiades interrupted the sleeps OF lhemis,
tocles and Theseus, hearing the exploits Of
Hercules, was fired with his spirit, and o. DE-
came the successful rival of his fame De
rude savage OF the desert listens with rapture
TO the deeds of his ancestors, and hangs a.
round his hut the emblems Of his fathers va
lour. ,,..
More need not be said to enforce the Utility
of the publication we have undertaken, al.
which we now submit to the patronage o. o~
fellow citizens, with hope, that from tM
liberality of their encouragement, we so'j
be able to present it TO the publlS WoTtDyt !"
their appreciation. We must depend ioT 10.
illustration OF many of the character g o..
biography, upon The generosity OF their SUI,
viving relatives and friends, to furnish US WIZ
whatever interesting materials may be IN IlSn
possession for which, with our grateful =,
acknowledgements, we promise copy Oh u
entire W rk as a compensation.
CONDITIONS. =,
|. The work will be publiihed in num0e'sJ
half volumes of 200 pages, octave e e
contained in ten numbers. 10 the ".
will be prehxed an appropriate lIonyd
piece-and the work will be commerce.
with the declaration of independence wa
engraved fac SMILES Of the signatures, sDyi
compendious detail Of the procedure
congress, during the passage OF the ii Nv,
Each OF the lives, unless when II Is ,n In
practicable, will be preceded by II hs.t
ness of the person, engraved by 'ne
artists in the United States. do
4. 1t will be printed on fine paper, mssd
expressly for the purpose, and q d Sa,'esnts
to subscribers at tao dollars ana ivy ''"
pernumber, payable on delivery
~ Subscriptions received at this omtt