Anybody else notice anything peculiar about Benjamin’s
photograph? He is smiling. That is not something you
often see in pre-Twentieth Century photos.
I've researched Judah Benjamin in connection with a historical novel -- he's a fascinating character and was known as the "brains of the Confederacy". Most of the images I've seen of him show him with a slight smile.
That said, I don't see the point of the article in mentioning Benjamin at all. Yes, he was Jewish and was the Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War and Secretary of State. Prior to that, he was a local New Orleans politician and attorney, then became a US Senator from Louisiana. Only for a very short time did he own any slaves -- he bought a sugar plantation, but promptly sold it when his wife was unhappy living there, missed the city life, took their daughter and moved to Paris, and he took up residence in Richmond, working long hours, essentially running the government when Jefferson Davis' health was poor.
I wonder if the author isn't envious of Benjamin's hard-earned success.