It does seem to me that the Redeemers began with good intentions, but we've seen that all too often. Even the most well-intentioned politicians have turned out to be self-seeking. It's the nature of the beast. If Honest Abe couldn't avoid seeking his party interests during the most crucial period of our nation's history, I doubt if some assuredly racist southern Democrats could have held out for long with their anti-corruption stance (note Alex's citation).
     The Jim Crow Laws were clearly a negation of every Reconstruction policy, but the reason they came into effect because the Republican government chose to swing to the other side of the Reconstruction dilemma. Military measures were an outrage to the South and very dangerous to northern men involved. Peace between the regions could only be reached at the expense of the black race. Grant's non-intervention was not necessarily a bad choice; it was simply what he thought was the lesser of two evils.