The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-22
LETTER FROM THE COAST.
JoHN's ISLAND, S. c., August 10, 1867

To the Editor of The Charleston Daily Ne'cs'
The Board of Registrars commenced their Work
at Legarevile at o'clock A. M. August lotn, anu
closed at 8 P. NJ. August 18th. The colorea COL
umn gives IT'S names, the white 1S. There are
probably hundred more black voters who cannot
come to time now, being down with fever. every
effort is being made to bring out full represents
ton. The blacks nsed no urging. The few white
gentlemen were treated with cordiality and kind
consideration. 1t lis believed that the Wnole nuln-
ber of white voters will not exceed the figures mere
given. Ours is one Of the three islands composing
the Third Precinct, Wadmslaw and Edlsto oene
the other two. Johns Island will probably give
the smallest number Of white voters OF any poll
ing district in the State.
There we're many curiosities in names, manners
morals and intelligence in this crowd OF aPpn-
cants. Considering the great number OF oiacks
who assume tho names of former owners tne
LEaAREs, RopERs and SEABRooKs are scarcely rep
resented, while the name Of sNaIEToS ap-
pears no less than forty eight times out OF
eighty-seven names commencing with the letter 3.
This favorite surname hgrresin sll manner OF con-
nections from the old-tme Sambo to tne arlstocra'
ic GRAHAM EARLE, from the patient and pious hEzE-
K1AH to the patriotic WASHINGTON, from the SOBER
solemn AMn1DAB, to the dashing and daring La
FAYETTE WARWICK SINGLETON. ALI agree that the
kswaying, surging mass was sedulously ORDERLY,
being kept in awe by the pompous ana dighneo
bearing of the black constables. The costumes or
these newly made citizens were ss various as the
expressions of their faces while the oath was beng
administered. That part Of it relating to the
holding Of any Office Congressional, executive, OF
Judicial, in the United States and then engaging
in rebellion, must have struck them as peculiarly
solemn and impressive, to judge from the orop-
ping of the lower jaw and the rounding OF the eye.
They went by the sound muchlest, as Ward would
have said. As to dress, you sswthe coat OF inc
b onored time of the revolution alongside OF the
tight pantsIooned dandy Of the day, while one
proud, portly darkey actually glittered In
the fancy-frescoed and brassy d'Afique jacket OF
the long-lost "entants-perdus." The raising OF.
hands was always done with eclst. A few made
mistakes, which reminded one OF the story OF tne
drill-master, who, in the case Of some dull, raw
recruits had to resort to hay and straw, giving the
word Of coHc,snd, hay-foot ana straw
foot for right and left. Only one gentle
man refused to touch the pen, until he knew what 1t
was all about and, therefore wanted to get the right
oft. Three out OF the seven hundred and seven
ty-fve enfranchised blacks we're able to sign ther
own names, the rest 'hand-signed," as they called
it, by touching the pen. What ideas these dusky
children Of Uncle Sam had Of the proceedings is
rather hard to guess. One would think none, de-
fined aud accurate, to Judge ho1 the answers
given to questions put to them! a very, very
few, had vague, vacillating land-1Ption, not e1-
pressed in positive terms on being ssked. Others
again thought they had come for the purpose OF
being counted. Themsjority by far abored under
the happy and eyer-welcone notion Of hearing a
speech, while minority had already caught and
chung to the word "vote, and thinking that was
what they came for, looked for some mysterious
manipulatons hitherto unknown to them. Several
venerable old dsrkias, having heard that the IRAN
chise was about to be given to them, came PROVE
ded with bags and haversacks to carry it in. They
undoubtedly thought it was only q new name for
provender, rahons, or commits .ry stores, ana
we're not going to lose anything for lack OF Ton
mage. Many Of those withered old faces are well
known to the distributors OF the Southern reief
goods, both here and in Charleston; and tho inge-
nuity displayed by some of these aged darks to Sc
cure a full supply Of the Government bounty is
really surprising. One very old man made his
appearance on The last day OF the session,
and was willing to have anything doneto him
that the ge'men saw best, IL they would only give
him chew Of tobacco, and let him so home be-
fore sundown. he lett heart-gl -glsddened.
The few whites came in body; discussed the
meaning and purport Of the osth, signedit, were
registered and left, satisfied that their effort in
stemming the sweeping tide Of Black Republican
ism will avail nothing, Yet they regard It as q
solemn duty to take this arst step toward recon
structing their State. If, they say, Congress will
only fulfill its promise and admit the States. they
will cheerfuny comply with all stipulations pre-
scribed by that body. They know that Northern
capital will not come in while the South ls in this
unsettled condition, and without that they can
scarcely make their plantations pay their taxes
and living, Everybody is pretty well satisfied that
working on shares will not do. What the prospect
for labor will be next year, no one can conjecture
There certainly must be some more regulated ana
systematic plan than the one now followed. Ne
eroes working fos provisions this year, arc raising
their corn for the coming winter and spring, ana,
with enough Of corn and potatoes to feed them,
some more powerful inducement must be found 10
make them cultivate the land. On this lsiano
they scarcely seem to care for or look to anything
beyond the necessaries Of life. One-thlrd OF the
cotton land planted is thoroughly and hopelessly
overrun with grass and weeds, and will not pay the
expense Of gathering. The estimate made on this
years crop gives weak tvo-thirds syersss. @lhis
On the lands not given over to grass Lack otpropef
drainage, and the loose syssem Of labor generally,
are given as the reasons for this state of things.
There is some very fine seed planted on the island
but that of the eoored people isIni1ed they Ing
paid as little attention to the quality of their seed
as thew did since to the working Of their lands.
A,