[rmcpherson]

“We hold these truths to be self evident...” is from the Declaration of Independence. It does not appear in the Constitution.

[MisterBastahrd]

Doesn't matter. The Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution is not limited to the words of the document. The Constitution itself is derived from a history of law, letters, and intent that predate the very concept of the United States.

[sjg007]

Depends on if you are an originalist or not.

[MisterBastahrd]

Nope. A textualist, maybe, but originalists would very much be looking towards English law for guidance on what the Constitution meant.

[sjg007]

It’s called originalism. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Originalism