Your characterization of the 500 hundred being fine, was not accepted by most, except the local politicians that (unfortunately) took little or no effective action. Attempting to change a Federal election by violent attack on the capital (and if lucky, maybe hang a Vice President), with what looked like then and even more so now to be the cooperation and possible coordination of Washington Executive and legislative elected officials, against our constitution, they took oaths to protect and defend, so help them God, was a bridge too far to be crossed for the majority of Americans that support our constitutional representative republic.
Any more questions?