During Washington’s first term in office he focused mainly on bring together the states to form a stable federal government by remaining neutral in the war between France and England. Washington’s neutrality proclamation was his second great accomplishment because he was able to focus his attention towards foreign policy and not interfere with the policy making powers that the Constitution had given Congress. The choice to remain neutral pleased the American citizens as they were “enjoined to pursue a conduct friendly and impartial towards the belligerent powers.”5 Besides pleasing the public Washington wanted to remain neutral due to the fact that Jefferson was pro-French and Hamilton was pro-British and after hearing convincing debate from both sides Washington formed his decision. Washington felt that the new young country was too young and fragile to go through another war. The decision to remain neutral was significant because of the fact that the new Constitution needed enough time, in peace especially, to properly spread its roots and begin growing into what had been dreamed up in the convention in Philadelphia in 1787. His devotion to staying out of war was one of the best foreign policy moves ever made in United States history and stood until the Woodrow Wilson era.6
During his terms as President, Washington took a lot of criticism especially when it came to his policies. One of Washington’s failures was the excise taxes on alcoholic beverages resulting in the Whiskey Rebellion. The Whiskey Rebellion was a series of protests in western Pennsylvania against the federal law of 1792 which was imposing a tax on whisky.7 The idea of a tax was supported by federalists, such as Hamilton, but felt heavy opposition from the likes of grain farmers, who depended on whisky as major source of income. The reason that this was one of George Washington’s failures as a president was because of the fact that the public felt an injustice to their rights. “Washington feared the whisky rebels and the leveling impulse they represented. He was only human. He had spent a lifetime climbing the social ladder of respectability, sacrificing personal serenity and physical comfort to win a brutal war and found a nation.”8 Washington issued a proclamation in 1794, which ordered the use military force in organized resistance situations. “Washington regarded himself as the surest interpreter of the Constitution to which he had given sanction and in whose defense he was now prepared to risk bloodshed.”9 The Whisky Rebellion in the end was a failure but important in Washington’s Presidency, because it was the first real test for the federal government and the power to enforce law, most notable the Presidential right to command the use of military force from the Constitution.
The other failure during his Presidency was his support of the Jay Treaty with England, which infuriated the Republicans and much of the general population. The relationship between American and Britain was still on edge due to the loss of the colonies. Washington was becoming frustrated by the fact that Britain was seizing American cargo ships, as well as still occupying several western trade posts within U.S. borders. Washington decided to send Chief Justice John Jay to England to help negotiate a solution. Jay returned with a treaty that would included the withdrawal of British soldiers from posts in the American West, a commission to be established to settle outstanding border issues between the U.S. and Canada, and a commission to be established to resolve American losses in British ship seizures and Loyalist losses during the War for Independence.10 The treaty was ratified and approved by Congress, but to the dismay of the general public. Jay's Treaty was significant in Washington’s Presidency because it was a failure due to the tremendous uproar it caused amongst the general public. One interesting issue was the fact that Washington remained admirable even during this time of public dismay, but he began to question whether the country would be able to hold it together in a democratic governing system. Well to Washington’s pleasure, the United States has held the political model together since it was introduced.
So if the definition of indispensable is irreplaceable, than George Washington was truly an indispensable man. His display of courage, justice, judgment, wisdom, and self-control was and still is a model of strength and stability. Washington left the country that he helped form after eight years, even to public dismay. Washington had many accomplishments, as well as several failures during his two terms in office. This paper analyzed two highlights of each. Washington’s first accomplishment was surrounding himself with the greatest minds of the time. He formed a political cabinet of minds ranging from the liberal likes of Jefferson to the conservative likes of Hamilton. This accomplishment was so essential in providing a surrounding which enabled Washington to see issues from both sides of the political spectrum. Washington’s second great accomplishment was bringing and keeping the country together. Washington formed a foreign policy of neutrality, which gave the country time to figure out their new government without feeling the pressures of other countries. This was significant because it gave our governing model time in peace to work and become established forming the model in which we are still governed today. As we know though no one is perfect and Washington did have several political struggles.
Washington’s failures were decisions that caused public uprising. The Whisky Rebellion was a failure because many citizens disagreed with the idea of taxing a good that was essential to many people as a source of income. The failure was a bad choice in policy causing organized resistance and a need for military action. The other failure analyzed was the Jay Treaty that caused a tremendous uproar from the public, because they felt we were giving to much back to Britain for what the country was receiving. But Washington felt the need to have the Treaty approved because of the possibility of war on rise. In the end the country has survived to be the most powerful and influential country in the world today, but without Washington setting standards and forming a model to follow where would our country be?
Notes
1. “Indespensible.” Webster’s New World Compact School and Office Dictionary. Updated ed. New York: MacMillian, 1995. 220.
2. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 12.
3. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 8.
4. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 50.
5. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 161.
6. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 161.
7. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 210.
8. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 215.
9. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 215.
10. Smith, Robert Norton. Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Government. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 232.
