'Neither had I any objection to Spain joining,
provided she kept Cuba all right. But, Cuba being so near Uncle Sam's
fingers, nothing more than the common course of events was needed to
let it slide so naturally into his modest hands.' Smooth told the old
gentlemen that the very best way to hasten Uncle Sam's getting Cuba
was to point out a process by which he could keep his hand out of his
pockets. 'We, Mr. Smooth, do not question your correctness on the
point, so far at it refers to this Cuba business, and the tripartite
treaty which we would you had signed merely that your fingers were
kept off the property; but you have misconstrued our amiable
motives--we only wanted to form a trio, honorable in combination--that
is, we would it were mutually understood that you do not annex Cuba,
and we will not!' said my Lord Littlejohn, who spoke quite as spunky,
though with less assurance on geography, than he did to the very
amiable Mr. Everett. Smooth understood the P's and Q's of the thing,
without examining further into the portfolio. It was Johnny Bull
saying to Johnny Crappo--'them Yankees 'll get Cuba!--in spite of all
we can do.
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