The group which Godkin blame most for the issues plaguing the South during Reconstruction is the "carpetbaggers."
According to Godkin in his essay titled "E.L. Godkin Assesses Reconstruction, 1871," he claimed that the carpetbaggers who are originally not politicians and have no mind of their own including ideas and passions but took over the power in the South as a result of the reconstruction approach.
He concluded that these carpetbaggers couldn't carry out necessary governance to the South but rather utilizes the power and influence to their advantage instead of making the South viable for its residents.
