A reader writes:
There is a third renunciation of power undertaken by Washington which should be mentioned alongside those you mentioned in your posting. Washington, as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, explicitly renounced acts of military terror against Loyalists and the Undecided, and he forbade any acts of torture or war crimes on the part of American soldiers against British and in particular Hessian forces who were captured in battle. He also required, even during the direst of circumstances when his Army was literally starving for food and clothing in the winters of 1776-77 and 1777-78, that the citizenry be compensated as best as possible for any foodstuffs and clothing requistioned by the Army.
In all, Washington is truly remarkable due to his rectitude and reticence, something that stands in stark contrast with the manner in which the Executive Branch is conducting itself today.