John Marshall

“The government of the Union, though limited in its powers, is supreme within its sphere of action, and its laws, when made in pursuance of the constitution, form the supreme law of the land.”

“What is it that makes us trust our judges? Their independence in office and manner of appointment.”

“The very essence of civil liberty certainly consists in the right of every individual to claim the protection of the laws, whenever he receives an injury. One of the first duties of government is to afford that protection.”

“The events of my life are too unimportant, and have too little interest for any person not of my immediate family, to render them worth communicating or preserving.”

“I was born on the 24th of September 1755 in the county of Fauquier, at that time one of the frontier counties of Virginia. My father possessed scarcely any fortune and had received a very limited education - but was a man to whom nature had been bountiful, and who had assiduously improved her gifts.”

“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.”