Quote#Politics & Power
No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously…
Quote byJames K. Polk · 1795–1849
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Diary entry (29 December 1848)..
English (original)
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.
— James K. Polk
More from James K. Polk
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 …
The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.
By the theory of our Government majorities rule, but this right is not an arbitrary or unlimited one. It is a right to be exercised in subordination to the Constitution and in conformity to it. One great object of the Constitution was to …
Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family.
Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our Government.
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.