“Who Is Polk?”
By DORIS COOPER
When James K. Polk was elected
President of the United States, in 1845,
many people asked “just who is this
Polk fellow?”
James K. Polk was the first dark
horse candidate to become President,
a compromise choice between Van
Buren and Lewis Cass. One may have
been excused for thinking that Polk’s
political star was descending just prior
to the election. Having served as Gov¬
ernor of Tennessee 1839-41, he ran
for reelection in 1841 and was de¬
feated. He then made another bid for
the same office in 1843, and was again
defeated.
From this failure, two years later,
he rose to become the 11th President
of the United States (1845-49), He
was just 49 years old when he took
over the reins of government.
Uneasy Whigs
Polk’s quick rise to the top of the
political ladder was apparently a mat¬
ter of consternation in some quarters.
Said one newspaper of the time: “Our
Whig friends must recollect that they
are now living under the Democratic
administration of James K. Polk. They
must lie low and keep dark; particu¬
larly such as hold office and such as
haven’t yet learned who J-a-m-e-s K.
P-o-l-k is.”
From another old newspaper: “We
are informed that a brick maker of this
town, an active and leading Whig, says
he sells his bricks for fifty cents per
thousand more since the election than
before. This is one of the lamentable
results of the democratic triumph.
Surely the country is ruined!”
On Economy In Government
“Ours was intended to be a plain
and frugal government; and I shall re¬
gard it to be my duty to recommend
to Congress and, as far as the execu¬
tive is concerned, to enforce by all
means within my power, the strictest
economy in the expenditure of the pub¬
lic money, which may be compatible
with the public interests, . .
Polk was born in Mecklenburg
County, N. C-, on November 2, 1795.
His family moved to Tennessee when
James was eleven years old, but he
returned to this state in 1815 to enter
the University of North Carolina, At
( Continued on page 26)
At the moin entrance is shown on old- fashioned
reel, used to take up yarn from
о
spinning wheel.
The variety of wrought iran trivits were used in
cooking ond serving. On the bottom step, note
the bread toaster, one such as the Pal
к
Family
would have used.
Some of the hand- hewn logs weighed as much os
160 pounds. The special colored mortor resembles
cld-fashianed mud. Chestnut and "rose head"
nails odd to authenticity.
Polk On Unity
“l am happy to believe that al every
period of our existence as a nation,
there has existed, and continues to
exist, among the great mass of people,
a devotion to the union of states which
will shield and protect it against the
moral treason of any who would seri¬
ously contemplate its destruction. . .
Inside the Moin House of the Polk Restoration,
о
roofing fire and authentic antiques af Talk's era
greet visitors. The cloy pottery on the antique table looks as if it has hod mony years of fomily
service. The corn shuck broom, by the fireploce, would hove been wet befate use to moke sweeping
ond mopping
о
once-over job, — (Rusty Graef photos.l
the state, July is, isss
9