The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-22
LETTER PROM THE COAST,
Joux's ISLAND, u. O.. Aupust ~. ,

io"e I.aH0F % INC Charleston Daily HetrS:
lIc Hoard of Registrars commenced their work
at LeGnreriI,c ut O'Clock A. NJ. August 18TH, and
closed at 81. NJ. August 17lh. Tho colorctl col
uinn gives 775 names, tho white 10. There arc
probably II hundred moro black votors who cannot
como to time nov, being down with fcvcr. Every
effort is being made to bring out full representa-
tion. Tho blacks mood no urging. Tho foE Wito
gentlemen were treated with cordiality and kind
consideration. II 10 holicvcd that tho whole num-
ber OF whto yoters will not exceed tho figures here
given. Ours ia ono Of tho throo islands composing
tho Third Precinct Wadmalaw and Edisto being
tho othcr two. Johns Island will probably givo
the smallest number of white voters of any poll
Ing district i'm the State.
There wcro many curiositics in names manners,
morals and intelligence in this crowd OF appIi-
cnnts. Considering tho great number Of bucks
who assume the names of former owncrs tho
LEdAREs, RoPERs and SEADRooxB arc scarcely rep
resented, whiio tho name OF SINGLETON ap-
pears 10 less than forty-eight times out of
cighty-scvon namos commencing with tho lcltcr s.
This favorito surname figures in ail mannor OF con-
ncctions from tho oldtimo Sanbo to tho nrstocrat-
c GRAHAM EARLE, from the patient md pious HEzE-
KIAn to tho patriotic WASHINGTON, from Tho sober,
solemn hM1NIDAB to the dnshing and daring La
FAIETrE WAnwIcK SINGLETON. All ngrco that tho
swaying, surging mass was scdulously orderly,
being Kept i'll awe by tho pompous aud dgnifcd
bearing Of tho black constablcs. Tho costumes Of
these newly made citzons wero ns various aa tho
expressions of their faces while tho oath was being
administered. That part of il relating to tho
holding of any oiico, Congressional, Executive, or
Judicial, in tho United States and thcn engaging
in rebellion, must hayo struck thom as peculiarly
solemn and impressive to judge from tho drop
ping of tho lower jaw and tho rounding Of tho eye.
rhnu, I,,,i
have said. As to DRESS you tho coat Of tho
Ia onorcd tmo Of tho revolution alongside Of tho
tight pantalooncd daudy of tho day, whilo ono
proud, portly darkcy actually glittercd in
tho fancy frescoed and brassy d'AfriQuo jacket of
tho long-lost "cntants-pordus." Tho raising Of
hands was always dono with cclat. A few made
mistakes, which reminded one of tho story of tho
drill-mnster, who, in tho chso Of some dull, raw
recruits had to resort to hay and straw giving the
word OF command, hay-foot and straw
foot for right and loft. Only ono gentle
man refused to touch the pen until ho know what it
was oil about md, therefore wanted to got tho right
Oft. Three out OF the soren hundred and seycn-
ty-fvc enfranchised blacks wcro ablc to aign their
own names, tho rest "hand-sgncd," )" us they called
1t, by touching tho pen. What idoas these dusky
children OF Une1o Sam had of the proceedings ia
rather hard to guoss. Ono would think mono, de-
fined and accurate, to judge from the answers
givon to questions put to them. a very, n very
few, had vague, vacillating land-notion not c1-
pressed i'll positive terms on being asked. Othors
nSain thought thoy had como for tho purpose OF
being counted. Tho majority by far lnborcd under
the happy and ever-welcomo notion Of hearing
speech, while minority had already caught and
clnng to tho word "voto," and thinking that was
what they camo for, looked for aomo mysterious
mnnipulalions hitherto unknown to them. Several
venerable old darkics, having heard that tho fran
chisc was about to bo given to them, camo provi-
ded with bags and haversacks to carry IL in. Tley
undoubtedly thought it was only O new name for
prorcndnr. rations, or commissary sto:os, aud
were not going to lose anything for lack of ton-
mage. Many Of thoso witherod old facos arc we'll
known to tho distributors of tho Southern reliof
goods. both horo and in Charleston; and tho lgo-
nnity displayed by some Of theso aged daris to &C.
cure full supply Of the Government bounty is
really surprising. Ono very old man made his
appearance on !ho Inst day OF tho session,
and WAS willing to have anything dono TO him
tl;at the ge'men saw beat, il thoy would only givc
him chew OF tobacco and let him go homo be-
fore sundown He lett hesrt-glnddened.
Tho few whites came in body; discussed tho
meaning and pnrpnrt of tho oath, higned it, wero
registered and left, satisfied TINT thoir effort in
etenmng tho sweeping tide Of Black Republican
ism will nvail nothing. Yet thoy regard il as
solemn duty 10 take this first step toward recon-
strncting thoir State II, they sny, Congress- will
only fulfill ts pro MISC and admit tho Statcs tbey
will cheerfully comply with all stipulations pre-
scrbed by that body. They know that Northern
capital will not come in whllo the South is in this
unsettled condition. aud without that they can
scarcely make their plantations pay their taxes
and living. Everybody Is protty we'll satisfied that
working OH shares will not do, What tho prospect
for labor will bc noxt year, no ono conjecture.
There certainly must be some moro regulated and
systematic plan than tho ono now followed. No
grocs working for provisiong this year, raising
their corn for the coming wintor and spring, and,
with enough Of corn and potatoes to focd them,
some moro powerful inducsment must be found to
mako them cultivate the lhnd, On this island
they scarcely seem to for or look to anything
beyond tho ncccssaries OF lifo. one-thtrd OF tho
cotton land planted is thoroughly and hopelessly
overrln with grass and weeds, md will not pay the
expense OF gathering, The estimate made on this
years crop gives weak two-thirds average. This
on the lands not given oyor to grass Lack ofpropor
drainage and tho loose system OF labor generally,
arc given as tho reasons for this state Of things
There is some very fno scod planted on tho island
but TINT of tho colcred people ismiIed they ing
paid little attention 10 tho quality Of thoir scod
ns thoy did since 10 tho working Of their lands.
A.