Washington had the stature and ability to make a huge power grab and didn't do it - which speaks volumes about his ideals, his ethics, and his vision for the country.
Yes, and you're right, it does indeed speak volumes for the man....
George Washington was the only man in American history, who could have become a true dictator if he'd wanted to....
And declined to do so....
If he had taken that opportunity, as many other men would have, American history would have been very different...
At the time, no one would have blamed him for seizing that opportunity; Afterall, at the time there was no template for the construction of a nation/state that didn't involve a strong Sovereign....
But given the opportunity to become a dictator, he refused to do so...
And that, probably more than anything else, truly makes Washington unique...
And why we owe him such a great debt....
He was an inspiring military commander, but he really wasn't that much as a President...
We don't remember much from Washington's terms as President, except for one very important thing....
After two terms as President, he left Office....
Legally, voluntarily....
He could have clung to power; but that just wasn't George...
He established a precedent for the rule of law, when he didn't have to...
