“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.”
More from James K. Polk
“If a man . . . would shake and not be shaken, grip and not be gripped, taking care always…”
“Minorities have a right to appeal to the Constitution as a shield against such oppression.”
“The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.”
“Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country…”