Did you ever read about the Whiskey Rebellion? Washington was perfectly prepared to use both a gun and a hangman's noose to put down rebellion. And these guys were a bunch of stupid backwoods farmers who's crime was tarring and feathered a few 'revenuers'.
I'd take my chance crossing Abe before George any day. George was one tough dude.
Ahh. you've fallen under the spell. The Whiskey Rebellion was indeed a rebellion. The South didn't rebel. State Conventions are not rebellious factions. They're constitutional ones. The Southern States held conventions, in which They the People chose to alter or abolish their government.