Unlike President Obama, who uses executive orders mostly to effect what Congress won’t legislate, George Washington used them to clarify issues with which few in Congress could disagree. When it came to facilitating matters that clearly did not require Congress, the sessions for which were often short, Washington acted. For example, he issued on Oct. 3, 1789, an executive order recognizing a day of Thanksgiving for Thursday, Nov. 26. Consequently, not only were there no administrative scandals during Washington’s two terms, but his Farewell Address of Sept. 19, 1796, noted the critical importance of power being restrained by constitutional provisions. “If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way in which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation (the power of the pen of the president); for though this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.”
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 01:05:35 +0000
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