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There is precedent for a president, duly elected by the American people, to step aside gracefully in the national interest. Weary from constant attacks from his opponents, and eager to avoid the perception of American dictatorship, George Washington, with assistance from Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, drafted what stands as one of the most important documents in our nation's history. Washington, who decided not to seek a third term, never actually delivered what has come to be known as his farewell address; it was drafted in September 1796 and first published in newspapers around the country two months late.