I wonder just how much Washington and his cohort of traitors to the duly-constituted government of King George of 1776 would appreciate the comparison. Perhaps they would just smile at the irony and recall Ben Franklin's remark at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention: "A republic, if you can keep it." Lasted about three generations...the rest has been just a prolonged denouement.
Didn’t they say, “If this be treason, let us make the most of it?” Did any of them think they were still “loyal Englishmen” after affixing their names to the document in 1776? If so, why did they expect as Franklin said, to “hang separately” if they didn’t hang together. They all knew they were traitors at the end of the day.