Confederate Jews

Princeton canceled a celebration of 19th century Jewish art because the central figure — and one other — supported the Confederacy.
Ezekiel is a complicated historical figure who fought for the Confederacy and supported the Lost Cause, the idea that the Civil War was about the southern states defending themselves from northern aggression. A second artist whose work would have bee uh n part of the exhibition, Theodore Moise, also served in the Confederate Army. But of course, history is filled with flawed people who nevertheless made important contributions to literature, art, science, and philosophy.

Indeed there is no one else who made important contributions to literature, art, science, or philosophy. To say that any man is damnable is strictly orthodox, as Chesterton said.

Jews had good reason to embrace the Confederacy. The deep tension between the black and white population meant that all other tensions were lessened. George Washington addressed the Jewish community in Savannah, already firmly established. The Irish were welcomed in the South when they were subjected to significant prejudice in the North. Jews in the Antebellum South fought duels, which may not seem desirable until you realize that gentlemen only dueled with equals. If you’d let a Jew take a shot at you in a duel, you accepted him as just as good as you were, no better and no worse. 

It’s not too surprising to find respect being returned.  

7 comments:

Gringo said...

Judah Benjamin was the first US Senator (Louisiana) of the Jewish religion, from 1855-1861. He was also Secretary of State for the Confederacy. His second cousin David Yulee was a US Senator from Florida, from 1845-1851 and 1855-1861, but he had previously converted to Christianity.

David Foster said...

Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph (well, at least of the version that was developed on a large scale) was a strong supporter of the Confederacy. Which is ironic because the telegraph played a significant role in the *defeat* of the Confederacy: first, because it interconnected the sections of the country more tightly than previously, so that northern people were more likely to feel that something in Georgia or Alabama was relevant to *them*, and secondly and more directly, because Grant used it effectively to coordinate a multi-front war.

Fredrick said...

Did they find out about Grants general order no.6?

@gringo, he went on to England, eventually becoming a barrister and QC. Benjamin on Sales, his book, is still used today.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150919060630/http://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/common-law-library/#

Grim said...

Number 11, perhaps?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Order_No._11_(1862)

Assistant Village Idiot said...

I stopped and sighed after the first two words "Princeton cancelled" wondering "oh, what is it now?"

Grim said...

It’s a dumb thing, isn’t it? 19th century Jewish art. You’d think that they could manage this tiny amount of dissonance, but they can’t.

Anonymous said...

Did Moses Jacob Ezekiel own slaves?

Reparations may be in order from his ancestors according to today's Woke Democrat party standards where the "end" justify's the means

...Just saying

Greg