I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon law and upon courts. These are false hopes, believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no courts to save it.
Learned HandWe shall succeed only so far as we continue to undertake โthe intolerable labor of thoughtโ โ that most distasteful of all our activities.
Learned HandFor myself it would be most irksome to be ruled by a bevy of Platonic Guardians, even if I knew how to choose them, which I assuredly do not.
Learned HandThere is no fury like that against one who, we fear, may succeed in making us disloyal to beliefs we hold with passion, but have not really won.
Learned HandIf we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: thou shalt not ration justice.
Learned Hand