Manning, William, 1747-1814. The key of libberty : shewing the cawses why a free government has always failed, & a reamidy against it, adresed to the republicans, farmers, mecanicks & labourers in America / by a labourer : manuscript, 1797-1798. MS Am

Class to pay it, for a Magazen is not Like a newspaper which is good for no -thing but when it is fresh from the press, but answers the same purpose if Red any time in the Month - Cosequently 8 or 10 May Join togather & take one, which would not Cost them more than a Mug of Grog a peace - for which they would have such valuable Reading for themselves & family a hole year 4ly to Establishing funds for this purpoise, it is not a grate Deal Considering the object, for a Clase, or an Individual to advance 25 Dollors the Interest of which would pay the hole Cost forever, & save all the troble of Quarterly or anual payments, & to what Better purposes Could Rich Individual Make Donations than to Such a fund as this - If the General Cort of Masachusets Should grant a fund Sefitiant for the hole State it would not Cost them More than the Shais Afare Did, which neaver would have hapened if Such a Society had bin then formed, And if Congress Should grant funds Sefitiant for the hole Continant, it would not Cost More than the Pitsburge Insurrection Did, which would not have taken place if they had bin favoured with Such Meens of knoledg as this is to Convey proposed as to forming Such a Society Some may Sepose it to be a hard thing, But only Let a good Republican printer in each State be agred with to advertize such a Ma -gazen on the Lowest termes possable, & thousands would take them if it ware ondly for amusement - and they would Soone See it for their own Interest to organize as proposed in ordir to git them in the Cheepest Manner, & the Society would come together Like a building & would Come together Like well framed & Marked -

But their is one More objection which no dout will be Raised against it [With?] two much truth viz, the Enemyes of free government have always bin [?] that their is not virtue & knoledge anough amongue My Brother Labour -eres to Seporte a free government, Consiquently when they are Called to act in Elections & other Matters that Concarne them as free Men they are Easily Deceived, bribed, flattered or Drove to act Conterary to their own Interest, But it is presumed that if Such Meens of Knoledg ware Injoyed as this proposed, & Carryed as it ware to their Doors without Money & without price,

Their always would be a Large Majority, that would, Read, See, think, & act for themselves & their true Interests, & would Zealously Support a free government so long as Selfe Interest Governs Men - Which May the almighty grant is the Sincear Desires of a Labourer

Constitution of the Labouring Society Introduction 1t Whereas it hath pleased the Supream Govenour of the universe for the fall of Man, to pass the E[???]arsable Sentance on him that in the Swet of thy face thou shall git thy bread - It is undoutedly the Duty of Every persone that is Blesed with the facultyes of a Sound body & mind, to apply himself Industerously to Some honest Cauling for the benefit of him selfe & the Society to which he belongs -

2ly Although their are Many Callings by which men may Live honestly without Labour, yet as Labour is the Soul parrant of all property by which all are Seported, therefore the Cauling aught to be honourable and the Labourer Respected -

3dly And whareas not ondly the Constitutions of our governments alow of asotiations & the Libberty of the press - But all ordirs of Men who Live without Labour have Improved there on, Therefore we whoes names are hereunto Subscribed - In ordir to Establish as Cheep Easy, & Sure a Conveyance of knoledge & Larning nesesary for a free man to have as posable, & to promote a Similarity of Sentiments & Maners Industry & Econimy, agraculture & Manufactoryes &, Do hereby Constitute our Selves Into a Society of frinds, By the name of the Labouring Society

Article 1t Sect 1t The persons who Constitute this Society, are all the free Male persons that are twenty one years of Age, Who Labour for a Living, & belong to the United States of Amarica, provided they are willing to Join & Submit to the Regulations of sd Society thereof,

Sect 2d Also their are admited Into it all persons of any other Denomination provided they Subscribe to its funds and Submit to the Regulations thereof [&c?]

Article IId The Society shall be Divided Into Meetings Like the ordir of Cincinaty Viz. Class, Town, County, State, & Continental Meetings -

Clase Meetings Sect 1t The Clase Meetings May be formed by grater or Less numbers Just as their Circumstances or Inclinations May Require, a Single Person May form a Clase if he will be at the Expence thereof or 20 May Join & have then a Librarian to use the Magazen by turns or meet & hear it Red Just as they pleas -

Town Meetings Sect 2d The town meetings to Include all the Clases belonging to Each town unles they are two Large, In that Case they May Divide as they find nesicary, & they Shall Meet annually, on the 4th of July at 4 oclock in the afternoon & Choose them a president, vice president, clarke & trea -surer or Colector

County Meeting Sect 3d The County Meetings Shall be formed by the presidents of the Town Meetings when they Can atend, & when they Cannot the vice presidents may in their Roome, who Shall Meet anually on the first Tuesday in September & Choose officers as the Town Meetings Did -

State Meetings Sect 4th The State Meetings to be formed by the presidents of the County Meeting as the County Meetings ware by the Town presidents, who Shall Meet annually on the first Tuesday of October, & Choos them officers as the County Meetings Did -

Continantal Meetings Sect 5t The Continantal Meetings to be formed by the State presidents Appointing a Sefitiant number of faithfull persons in the Federal

Citty to Receive & Convey by Corraspondance all nesecary Infor -mations In the Most Safe & Expeditious Manner Possable -

Article III The Main bisness of all these officers & meetings are to Invent the Cheep -est & Most Expeditious Meathod of Conveying all the Knoledge nesecary for a freeman, to the Clases, Espatially all they need in Elections, by furnishing them with a Monthly Magazen, & the Town presidents with a weekly Newspaper, & when nesecary by Speatial Meetings hand Bills, & other Corraspondance, Also they are to Superintend the the Magazen, & Correct all Mistakes & Misrepresentations that hapen to git into them - In Short to see that they Contain the truth, the hole truth, & nothing but the truth, Respecting the true Intirest of the Farmers & Labourers as Much as possable - Receiving & Colecting the pay for the hole, from the Clases untill other funds Can be Estableshed for that purpose, & as Soone as Can be thought proper, aply to the State Lejeslatures for acts of Incorperations to Re[?] Donation, & Establish funds for the Seport of sd Society, & Introduce the Best Regulations, possable amongue them, -

Article IV If any persone belonging to the Society Should Behave unbecomeingly or be mistrusted of Imbaseling the Societyes Money, neglecting the Duty he undrtakes, or any ways trying to Injure the Society, he may be Removed from it by Either a Majority of Either of the Meetings he Belongs too, & if an officer, another Chosen in his Roome -

Article V The presidents of Either Meeting Shall have power to Call the Meting together at any time when he Shall think nesecary, & In his absence the vice president May Do the Same, & they Shall be abliged to Do So if one third of the Meeting Desires it -

Article VI or a Covinant to be Signed by those that Join the Society We the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of, In the County of, and State of, Haveing Duly Considered the foregoing Constitution and the Ends for which sd Society is formed, Do hereby Ingage to Submit to the Regulations & Seporte the Honour & Digneyty thereof Solong as they are Conducted agreable to the Laws & Constitutions of the governmint we Live under, & will punctually pay our proportions of the Cost of Sepor -ting the Same, & that we will always be Ready to Seporte the Constitu -ted autorityes, In the Surpressions of Insurrections, Rebellions, or Invations of a Common Enemy, Also that we will take panes to informe our Selves Into the true prinsaples Carrictor & abilityes of all those we vote for into any office in the government we Live under, & that we will attend to all Elections when we can & put in a vote for those persons we think will Serve the publick the Best, Witness our hand -