Final answer:
Ulysses S. Grant's administration suffered from corruption, which impeded his ability to establish a successful southern policy after the Civil War. This corruption serves as an example of the concerns that the Founders had regarding the corrupting potential of centralized power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question seeks to understand the reasons behind Ulysses S. Grant's failure to develop a successful southern policy during his presidency. Notably, the presence of corruption in his administration greatly undermined his ability to effectively govern and develop a cohesive policy for the south post-Civil War. Grant's leadership faced severe challenges, including the growth of corruption within his administration, which had a detrimental impact on his presidential tenure and initiatives including those related to the south. It is important to examine such historical figures critically, just as the Founders of the United States were wary of the corrupting influence of power, a sentiment famously encapsulated by Lord Acton's aphorism, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."