"Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint."

"There is not a syllable in the plan under consideration which directly empowers the national courts to construe the laws according to the spirit of the Constitution."

"...however weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties."

"The Constitution ought to be the standard of construction for the laws, and that wherever there is an evident opposition, the laws ought to give place to the Constitution."

"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired."

"Jurors should acquit, even against the judge's instruction... if exercising their judgment with discretion and honesty they have a clear conviction the charge of the court is wrong."

"Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others."

"Measures which serve to abridge ... free competition ... have a tendency to occasion an enhancement of prices."

"The injury which may possibly be done by defeating a few good laws, will be amply compensated by the advantage of preventing a number of bad ones."

"To model our political system upon speculations of lasting tranquility, is to calculate on the weaker springs of the human character."

"We may safely rely on the disposition of the State legislatures to erect barriers against the encroachments of the national authority."