Ballad of the Presidents: Polk to Buchanan

Of Manifest Destiny, Polk was a prophet
Campaigning for Texas and all it would profit
And Oregon too with American might
His slogan was "Fifty-four-forty or fight!"

Voters, impressed, carried Polk into office
His thunderous victory made him incautious
From claiming fair Texas he moved on to more
The beautifully lusciously far western shore

Such blatant aggression made some people queasy
And nor was defeating old Mexico easy
But finally the conflict was brought to an end
From ocean to ocean did borders extend 
 
The war yielded Polk a most welcome surprise
Anciently hidden from covetous eyes
A mineral valued since ages of old
The metal of Midas—specifically gold! 

Candidate Polk had declared he’d consider
One term sufficient, and now he delivered
Bettering Washington’s limit of two
Polk said: So long, my work here is through.

Zachary Taylor, Old Rough and Ready
Started off strong but then finished unsteady
Ice-covered cherries appeared to have chilled him
Causing an ailment that suddenly killed him

Fillmore but vaguely and dimly suspected
A mighty explosion could aught be expected
When Clay’s final compromise passed through the Senate
With seeds of secession and conflict within it

Pierce aimed for calm as a solemn commission 
But found himself stymied by Douglas’ ambition
A hoary agreement was coldly struck dead
Soon settlers in Kansas had battled and bled

Buchanan was handed an ungodly hash
Which might have caused Solomon’s wisdom to crash
Secessionists searched for a reason to bolt
Still more after John Brown delivered a jolt

Buchanan declared all secession invalid
And said that its perils should render us pallid
Yet even while warning the Southerns to drop it
He said there was nothing allowed him to stop it