 It seriously weakened the black political establishment through its use of assassinations and threats of violence; it drove some people out of politics.On the other hand, it caused a sharp backlash, with passage of federal laws that historian Eric Foner says were a success in terms of "restoring order, reinvigorating the morale of Southern Republicans, and enabling blacks to exercise their rights as citizens".Historian George C. Rable argues that the Klan was a political failure and therefore was discarded by the Democratic leaders of the South.