Top 15 James K. Polk Quotes

Our relations with the various Indian tribes continue to be of a pacific character.

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

I cannot adequately express the horror I feel for a man who can be so base as to veil his hypocrisy under the cloak of religion, and state the base falsehood he has done.

The whole frame of the Federal Constitution proves that the government which it creates was intended to be one of limited and specified powers.

It is not questioned that the Federal Government is one of limited powers. Its powers are such, and such only, as are expressly granted in the Constitution or are properly incident to the expressly granted powers and necessary to their execution.

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

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

The most energetic and prompt measures and the immediate appearance in arms of a large and overpowering force are recommended to Congress as the most certain and efficient means of bringing the existing collision with Mexico to a speedy and successful termination.

Although… 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 party only, but of the whole people of the United States.

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.

Senator Badger did not call. During the whole of the last session of Congress, he did not call on me. He is a bitter partisan and is no doubt sensible that during the presidential canvass of 1844, he did me gross injustice.

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.

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.

I would bring the government back to what it was intended to be – a plain economical government.

The Senate are a branch of the treaty-making power, and by consulting them in advance of his own action upon important measures of foreign policy which may ultimately come before them for their consideration, the President secures harmony of action between that body and himself.