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tion in principle but, in considerable measure, followed it in practice. However, he did attempt to keep abreast of everything that happened in the executive departments; for a time he actually refused to allow department heads to send out official letters until he had read and approved them.
On the other hand, his administration took on an increasingly Hamiltonian character as time went by. Congress, in establishing the Treasury Department, had made the secretary responsible to the House as well as to the president, and in that split capacity Hamilton functioned as a virtual prime minister. Even with Hamilton, however, Washington reserved final authority and took ultimate responsibility.
When Washington bowed out after his second term — setting a precedent that became a revered tradition — he had fulfilled his trust and confirmed the wisdom of the framers of the Constitution. By being the kind of man he was, he had made it possible for them to establish the presidency. By being the kind of president he was, he had made it possible for the office to evolve and endure.
Dr. McDonald is Professor of History at the University of Alabama and is author of several acclaimed books, including We the People, Novus Ordo Seclorum and The Presidency of George Washington.
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