During the period I have administered the executive department of the Government great and important questions of public policy, foreign and domestic, have arisen, upon which it was my duty to act.  It may, indeed, be truly said that my Administration has fallen upon eventful times.  I have felt most sensibly the weight of the high responsibilities devolved upon me.  With no other object than the public good, the enduring fame, and permanent prosperity of my country, I have pursued the convictions of my own best judgment.  The impartial arbitrament of enlightened public opinion, present and future, will determine how far the public policy I have maintained and the measures I have from time to time recommended may have tended to advance or retard the public prosperity at home and to elevate or depress the estimate of our national character abroad.

Invoking the blessings of the Almighty upon your deliberations at your present important session, my ardent hope is that in a spirit of harmony and concord you may be guided to wise results, and such as may redound to the happiness, the honor, and the glory of our beloved country.

JAMES K. POLK