Answer:
D. The newly formed government had the ability to enforce its laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
The response of President George Washington to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 showed that the newly established federal government was capable of upholding its laws. Farmers in western Pennsylvania staged the Whiskey Rebellion to protest the federal excise levy on whiskey. Washington viewed this uprising as a challenge to the federal government's legitimacy and capacity to uphold laws established by Congress. He organized a militia force of over 13,000 soldiers in response and personally led them into Pennsylvania to put down the uprising. This forceful move upheld the authority of the newly formed country by sending a clear message that the federal government had the ability and desire to implement its laws.