ifications ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁states ▁and ▁reported ▁in ▁their ▁newsp apers . ▁John ▁Marshall ▁in ▁Virginia , ▁James ▁Wilson ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁Oliver ▁Ell sw orth ▁of ▁Connecticut ▁all ▁argued ▁for ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁jud icial ▁review ▁of ▁acts ▁of ▁state ▁legisl ature . ▁In ▁Federal ist ▁No . ▁ 7 8 , ▁Alexander ▁Hamilton ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁doctrine ▁of ▁a ▁written ▁document ▁held ▁as ▁a ▁superior ▁en act ment ▁of ▁the ▁people . ▁" A ▁limited ▁constitution ▁can ▁be ▁preserved ▁in ▁practice ▁no ▁other ▁way " ▁than ▁through ▁courts ▁which ▁can ▁declare ▁void ▁any ▁legisl ation ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁The ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁people ' s ▁authority ▁over ▁legisl atures ▁rest s ▁" part icular ly ▁with ▁jud ges ". ▁ ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁was ▁initially ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁jur ists ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁int imately ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁fr aming ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁and ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁its ▁government ▁as ▁law . ▁John ▁Jay ▁( New ▁York ), ▁a ▁co - author ▁of ▁The ▁Federal ist ▁Pap ers , ▁served ▁as ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁years . ▁The ▁second ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁for ▁a ▁term ▁of ▁four ▁years , ▁was ▁Oliver ▁Ell sw orth ▁( Connect icut ), ▁a ▁delegate ▁in ▁the ▁Constitution al ▁Convention , ▁as ▁was ▁John ▁R ut ledge ▁( S outh ▁Carolina ), ▁Washington ' s ▁re cess ▁appointment ▁as ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 . ▁John ▁Marshall ▁( V ir gin ia ), ▁the ▁fourth ▁Chief ▁Justice ,