James K. Polk....................................

James K. Polk (1795-1849), a lawyer by trade, was the eleventh president of the United States, serving one term from 1845-1849.  Other government service included a captaincy in the Tennessee militia, membership in the Tennessee state legislature,  the Speakership of the U. S. House of Representatives and the governorship of Tennessee.  He was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, but spent much of his life living in, or serving, Tennessee.  Wiki is here.  More stuff here.  A few quotes attributed to Polk here:

"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."

"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."

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.

"Thank God, under our Constitution there was no connection between church and state."

"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."

"In executing this power by levying a tariff of duties for the support of Government, the raising of revenue should be the object and protection the incident. To reverse this principle and make protection the object and revenue the incident would be to inflict manifest injustice upon all other than the protected interests."

"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."

"The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government. While the Chief Magistrate and the popular branch of Congress are elected for short terms by the suffrages of those millions who must in their own persons bear all the burdens and miseries of war, our Government can not be otherwise than pacific."
(Ed. Note:  Not bad for a guy who lead the USA to war against Mexico in 1846.)