Jaunary 13

"One great object of the constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching on their just rights. Minorities have a right to appeal to the constitution as a shield against such oppression."

James K. Polk, 11^th President, 1845-1849

-From his Inaugural Address, March 4, 1845-Polk, born in North Carolina and representing Tennessee, became the youngest man who had been elected President up to that time, following Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson before him. During his administration, he oversaw the annexation of Texas in the Mexican-American War and negotiated with Great Britain for the annexation of Oregon. Also, he presided over the groundbreaking for the Washington Monument and the U.S. Naval Academy. He was one of the hardest working U.S. Presidents and died of Cholera only three months after his term ended. It has been said his death was partially due to exhaustion and that he had worked himself to death. In his address, he invokes the Constitution as his guide.-"... If the more aged and experienced men who have filled the office of President of the United States even in the infancy of the Republic distrusted their ability to discharge the duties of that exalted station, what ought not to be the apprehensions of one so much younger and less endowed now that our domain extends from ocean to ocean, that our people have so greatly increased in numbers...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...With a firm reliance upon the wisdom of Omnipotence to sustain and direct me in the path of duty which I am appointed to pursue, I stand in the presence of this assembled multitude of my countrymen to take upon myself the solemn obligation "to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States...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 restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching upon their just rights. Minorities have a right to appeal to the Constitution as a shield against such oppression...The inestimable value of our Federal Union is felt and acknowledged by all. By this system of united and confederated States our people are permitted collectively arid individually to seek their own happiness in their own way, and the consequences have been most auspicious. Since the Union was formed the number of the States has increased from thirteen to twenty-eight; two of these have taken their position as members of the Confederacy within the last week. Our population has increased from three to twenty millions..."