212 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



urban intercourse, and especially censures Rhode Island for 

 its indifference and niggardliness, saying that the inhab- 

 itants seemed to be entirely unwilling to pay for good 

 roads. This condition of things existed practically up to 

 the time of the revolution, so that the movement of troops, 

 artillery and supplies was a matter of utmost difficulty both 

 to the patriots and the British. 



With the advent of the new government under the Consti- 

 tution, or at any rate very shortly after, the necessity for 

 great roads and canals for the proper conduct of interstate 

 commerce, and as means of public defence in time of war, 

 began to be seriously felt by the government. The matter 

 was especially agitated by Jefferson after he came into the 

 presidency. In his second inaugural address, delivered 

 March 4, 1805, he made a strong plea for public works, and 

 for the application of the government revenues to the con- 

 struction of these great public improvements. It is inter- 

 esting to notice how much of the best public service ever 

 rendered by Jefferson was in defiance of the principles which 

 professedW governed his public career. His advocacy of the 

 construction of government roads and canals at the public 

 expense gave his enemies the opportunity to taunt him with 

 inconsistency in adopting those imperialistic ideas which he 

 had so loudl}^ deprecated, while at the same time it imposed 

 upon his supporters the difficult and unpleasant task of 

 defending these inconsistencies. Later, his purchase of 

 the Louisiana territory from Napoleon turned out to be 

 the greatest piece of beneficent imperialism upon which the 

 American government ever has embarked, or perhaps ever 

 will embark. 



Nearly two years later, in December, 1806, in his mes- 

 sage to Congress, Jeflerson again urgently pleaded the 

 cause of good roads and canals. There was no public debt 

 of any consequence. Gallatin, by his conservative and 

 careful management of the treasury department, had practi- 

 cally provided for its entire retirement. There was prospect 

 that the government would soon be enjoying a surplus from 

 its revenues, and these Jefferson was exceedingly anxious to 

 use in the manner before indicated. 



