““The whole stress of Washington’s presidency, underlined by his farewell, was on the absolute necessity to obey the Constitution. As he said on many occasions, he did not seek or want any more power than the Constitution gave him; but, when needful, he did not want any less either. It should be obeyed in letter and spirit. America was the first major country to adopt a written constitution. That Constitution has survived, where so many imitations all over the world have failed, not only because it was democratically constructed and freely adopted by the people, but precisely because it has been obeyed—by both government and people.””