Against these the election laws could not guard.

Congress attempted some laws to secure the Southern Republicans against such crimes under the authority conferred by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

But the Supreme Court held that these laws were unconstitutional, it not appearing that the States had by any affirmative action denied protection against such offences to any class of their citizens by reason of race, color, or previous condition.

It was idle to expect Southern jurors, or State officers to enforce the law against such crimes in the condition of sentiment existing there.
Further, the people of the North would not maintain the Republican Party in power forever on this one issue alone.

They were interested in other things.