It's about a lot of things, not just slave revolts. E.g. the whiskey rebellion:[1] [President] Washington responded by sending peace commissioners ... wh

It's about a lot of things, not just slave revolts. E.g. the whiskey rebellion:[1] [President] Washington responded by sending peace commissioners ... while at the same time calling on governors to send a militia force to enforce the tax. With 13,000 militia provided ... Washington rode at the head of an army to suppress the insurgency And also to help protect individual rights against an overbearing government. Of course now that we've been providing every small town sheriff with APCs and military weapons, that deterrent effect might no longer be as relevant as it once was. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Rebellion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Rebellion