The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-09-04
A 0olorod Prophet Foretells tho Woos
of his People.
STRANGE NATION,
TIE WHITE MAN SHALL JOIN wIru 4

ofhis People.
TIE WHITE MAN SHALL JOIN WITH
| STRANGE NATION,
a correspondent living in Raw
amba county, Mississippi, has sent III
q curious prophesy recently made b,
" colorod preacher named Lewis Sax
ton DeCosta, and causing, it is said
Immediate sensation among the black
Ill that part of Mississippi. DcCos
ia is a very old man, who claims to b,
the son of African parents; his fla
ther was prince, having been, will
Saxton's mother, Kidnapped somo di
tancc up the Niger, by a SLAYER, VIII,
sold them to Pedro blanche, the great
trader, at the Galiuas. They subsc.
buontly belonged to- the DeCosta cs.
tate, in Florida, where Lewis was
raised. After forty years Of slavery,
nc got his freedom by saving from q
burning building the children of his
mistress. He is said to be man of
remarkable purity of life, and an
army officer Captain Van Vlcct) who
heard him i'll Georgia, declares that
he was the most eloquent man ho
ever heard in his life. During the
war he could not bo induced te give
aid to either the Federal or Confcdcr-
ate side, his unvarying reply being
that 1T was his mission to comfort tho
hearts of his people. Widely known
and everywhere regarded with cx-
trcmc vcncration by the blacks, it is
not strange that they should be dccp-
ly moved by his words.
Lo my eyes arc open and T sec
clearly. For many days l tasted and
prayed; [ put away from me all NAL
ice and sought to make my heart
clear, my life before God. Alas, the
heat ofman is prone to OWL. Like
the dumb OK, he learns wisdom slow
~. Iconfcsscd my sins; | trust not
in myself. Then wisdom came; my
oycs saw tho present and future. The
great books of timo were opened. So
profound was my astonishmcnt that i
hungercd not, although ! had tasted
long asked the one who stood by me
"what means these records 20
The shining one said, "Thoy arc
the lives Of nations-mighty pco-
trace" u -
"Don't God always raise up those
who have been dcbascd," I asked
"No," he replied, 'smorc often dcbasc-
mont goes before extinction open
thine eyes and see the future of thy
people. They are proud. They trust
in themselves rather than in God
They have forgotten tho gospel rule,
E'blcss your enemies, pray for those
who wrong you" They speak, bitter
ly. They arc led to hate. They arc
made to stand in hostile array. Look
abroad now, and sec the vision Of the
future"
Then I was lifted up and through
the blne sky of summer day. I saw
all my people. saw them working
in plantations and shops-I saw them
i'll schools and churches. They were
sometimes wrongcd, sometimes cheat
cd, sometimes shamcfully abused be-
cause they were black, but men wanted
their labor ard they were slowly
rising above wrong and and prcju-
dice.
Then there went forth two, bearing
walls of wrath, ard these they poured
out upon the whole land. Then he
sound Of busy labor became hushcd.
My people left the field and the work
shop. Woods chokcd up the cotton.
The weeds smothcrcd the corn. The
workshops slept. Some lay all day
under the shade trees in vain hope OF
sometime taking all tho property of
tho white man. Others crowded into
liquor stores and spent their time in
speaking bitterly of tho past, and
wishing for revenge.
The white people upon whom the
yials of wrath were poured became
bitter against the colorcd man. They
said there arc ten millions of us
whites, while thorc arc only five mil
lions of those blacks. Why should
wc bear with them longer? They
seek now to oppress us. They are our
enemies. We will put such burden
upon thom that they will be drive
out or blottcd out as a people. We
no longer need their labor. We can
hire men from Asia. We can get
these men who will work harder, and
be glad to get for a years work what
VIC pay black man for working one
month.
Then I saw millions Of people
brought with exceeding swiftncss from
Asia, and they filed up tho whole
southern country, and they were every
whore preferred tc colorcd men, and
thcy settled in the land. Then hard
laws were made against tho blacks
and they became outcasts and vaga.
bonds. IN
The angel brought mo back to my
own place and said, s'Thoy that seek
strife and bitterness shall perish
thereby" and l wcpt much for the
calamitics Of my people. A rcmnan,
may be saved IL they seek peace with
all mon, and laboras God has appoint.
cd them.
LEWIS SAxroN DE COSTA.
II