James K. Polk Quotes

Although in our country the Chief Magistrate must almost of necessity be chosen by a party and stand pledged to its principles and measures, yet in his official action he should not be the President of a part only, but of the whole people of the United States.

It is confidently believed that our system may be safely extended to the utmost bounds of our territorial limits.

Under the blessings of Divine Providence... It becomes us, in humility, to make our devout acknowledgments to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, for the inestimable civil and religious blessings with which we are favored.

The Presidency is not a bed of roses.

I cannot, whilst President of the United States, descend to enter into a newspaper controversy.

All distinctions of birth or of rank have been abolished. All citizens, whether native or adopted, are placed upon terms of precise equality. All are entitled to equal rights and equal protection.

The Constitution itself, plainly written as it is, the safeguard of our federative compact, the offspring of concession and compromise, binding together in the bonds of peace and union this great and increasing family of free and independent States, will be the chart by which I shall be directed.

General Taylor is, I have no doubt, a well-meaning old man. He is, however, uneducated, exceedingly ignorant of public affairs, and I should judge, of very ordinary capacity.

When I observed a strong man approaching I generally took advantage of him by being a little quicker than he was and seizing him by the tip of the fingers, giving him a hearty shake, and thus preventing him from getting a full grip upon me.

There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress than I had any conception of, before I became President of the U.S.

The passion for office among members of Congress is very great, if not absolutely disreputable, and greatly embarrasses the operations of the Government. They create offices by their own votes and then seek to fill them themselves.

We must ever mandate the principle that the people of this continent alone have the right to decide their own destiny.

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.

No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure.

Under the benignant providence of Almighty God the representatives of the States and of the people are again brought together to deliberate for the public good.

Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country presents a sublime moral spectacle to the world.

Minorities have a right to appeal to the Constitution as a shield against such oppression.

No union exists between church and state, and perfect freedom of opinion is guaranteed to all sects and creeds.

If a man . . . would shake and not be shaken, grip and not be gripped, taking care always to squeeze the hand of his adversary as hard as it squeezed him, then he suffered no inconvenience from it.

Thank God, under our Constitution there was no connection between Church and State, and that in my action as President of the United States I recognized no distinction of creeds in my appointments office.

One great object of the Constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching upon their just rights.

I love you Sarah. For all eternity, I love you.

Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our government.