James K. Polk Quotes

On this page you can find the TOP of James K. Polk's best quotes! We hope you will find some sayings from 11th U.S. President James K. Polk's in our collection, which will inspire you to new achievements! There are currently 31 quotes on this page collected since November 2, 1795! Share our collection of quotes with your friends on social media so that they can find something to inspire them!
  • I am heartily rejoiced that my term is so near its close. I will soon cease to be a servant and will become a sovereign.

    Polk, James K. (1910). “The diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849, now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago historical society; Volume 4”, p.331, Best Books on
  • 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.

  • 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.

    James K. Polk (2009). “Messages and Papers of the Presidents: James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce”, p.2479, Wildside Press LLC
  • 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 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.

    James K. Polk (2015). “The Diary of James K. Polk During His Presidency”, p.249, BIG BYTE BOOKS
  • Thank God, under our Constitution there was no connection between church and state.

    James K. Polk (2015). “The Diary of James K. Polk During His Presidency”, p.353, BIG BYTE BOOKS
  • The Presidency is not a bed of roses.

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

    Last words, spoken to his wife on June 15, 1849. "Famous Last Words: The Ultimate Collection of Finales and Farewells" by Laura Ward, 2004.
  • We must ever mandate the principle that the people of this continent alone have the right to decide their own destiny.

  • 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. The gratitude of the nation to the sovereign arbiter of all human events should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy. Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country presents a sublime moral spectacle to the world.

    James K. Polk (2009). “Messages and Papers of the Presidents: James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce”, p.2479, Wildside Press LLC
  • It is confidently believed that our system may be safely extended to the utmost bounds of our territorial limits.

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

    Inaugural Address, avalon.law.yale.edu. March 04, 1845.
  • No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure.

    Polk, James K. (1910). “The diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849, now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago historical society; Volume 4”, p.261, Best Books on
  • No union exists between church and state, and perfect freedom of opinion is guaranteed to all sects and creeds.

  • 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.

    Inaugural Address, avalon.law.yale.edu. March 04, 1845.
  • One great object of the Constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching upon their just rights.

    Inaugural Address, avalon.law.yale.edu. March 04, 1845.
  • 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.

  • The gratitude ... should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy.

    James K. Polk (2009). “Messages and Papers of the Presidents: James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce”, p.2479, Wildside Press LLC
  • 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.

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

    James K. Polk's Inaugural Address, avalon.law.yale.edu. March 4, 1845.
  • No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. If he entrusts the details and smaller matters to subordinates constant errors will occur. I prefer to supervise the whole operations of the government myself rather than entrust the public business to subordinates, and this makes my duties very great.

    Polk, James K. (1910). “The diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849, now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago historical society; Volume 4”, p.261, Best Books on
  • With me it is exceptionally true that the Presidency is no bed of roses.

  • 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.

    Polk, James K. (1910). “The diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849, now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago historical society; Volume 4”, p.264, Best Books on
  • Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our government.

    Inaugural Address, avalon.law.yale.edu. March 04, 1845.
  • 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.

    James K. Polk (2015). “The Diary of James K. Polk During His Presidency”, p.399, BIG BYTE BOOKS
  • Public opinion: May it always perform one of its appropriate offices, by teaching the public functionaries of the State and of the Federal Government, that neither shall assume the exercise of powers entrusted by the Constitution to the other.

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

  • 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.

    James K. Polk's First Annual Message to Congress, memory.loc.gov. December 2, 1845.
  • 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.

    Polk, James K. (1910). “The diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849, now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago historical society; Volume 4”, p.264, Best Books on
  • There are four great measures for my administration - a reduction of tariff, an independent treasury, settlement of the Oregon boundary and acquisition of California.

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  • We hope you have found the saying you were looking for in our collection! At the moment, we have collected 31 quotes from the 11th U.S. President James K. Polk, starting from November 2, 1795! We periodically replenish our collection so that visitors of our website can always find inspirational quotes by authors from all over the world! Come back to us again!

    James K. Polk

    • Born: November 2, 1795
    • Died: June 15, 1849
    • Occupation: 11th U.S. President