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complex constitutional question came up, Washington asked the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion, but the Court declined to give one.
Thereafter, Washington made common sense his guide in settling constitutional questions. Thus in 17%, when the House of Representatives demanded the papers of a diplomatic mission that had resulted in an unpopular treaty with Great Britain, Washington read the Constitution, found in it no provision giving the House a share in the treaty-making power, and refused.
In one vital particular Washington did, from the very beginning, follow his own judgment rather than the words of the Constitution. He understood, intuitively, that the presidency is inherently dual in nature, that carrying out constitutionally specified duties is only half the job. The other half is ceremonial, symbolic and inspirational, and it is crucially important.
Washington recognized that if the presidency, and with it the Constitution itself, were to endure he must conduct himself with just the right balance between too much and too little formality. If he were stately and aloof, he could destroy trust by reawakening the American fear of monarchy. If he were folksy and warm, he could undermine popular respect for the dignity of the office. He managed to strike the golden mean, but even for a man of his gifts the doing required steady effort.
Some of Washington’s advisors recognized that executive ability is a far different thing from the capacity to inspire confidence as a symbol ol
See ORIGINS, p. 15
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