The precedent George Washington set here was that the he would not tolerate aggressive, violent protests against the laws which shall be enforced by the government. When the people rose up against the taxation of whiskey he personally commanded the militia end ended the Rebellion not by firing but by the imposing presence alone. He showed that the government meant business and if people were against something they need to protest the right way, through political action and peaceful protest.
This precedent of the government enforcing the laws and actively confronting the those who did not want to follow the laws and treated the citizens unfairly showed that the government would interfere but fairly. This was followed by Roosevelt when he fought the big corporate trusts and their monopolies.