Senor Don Romero Robledo, one among the politicians of the day who possess the gift of perfect oratory, so common among his countrymen, is an example of this puzzling “open mind.”  He appeared first in the character of revolutionist in 1868; then he became the Minister of the Interior in Amadeo’s short reign, held somewhat aloof from the wild experiment in a republic of Castelar, joined the party of Don Alfonso on the eve of its success, and supported Canovas del Castillo in his somewhat retrograde policy in the restoration of the very Bourbon whom he had announced as “banished for ever,” and, in fact, by his admirable genius for organising his party, enabled the Government of Canovas to continue to exist.  It is said of him that he “buys men as one would buy sheep,” and that he will serve any cause so long as he has the management of it, or rather so long as he may pull the wires.  Comte Vasili says of him:  “In politics, especially Conservative politics, men like Romero Robledo are necessary, finding easily that ’the end justifies the means,’ energetic, ambitious, always in the breach opposing their qualities to the invasions of the parties of extremes.”  This was written of him some fifteen years ago by one eminently qualified to judge.  At the present moment we find Senor Romero Robledo refusing office, but consulted by the Queen Regent in every difficulty.  In the late crisis, when the Conservative party under Silvela, called into office for the sake of carrying the extremely unpopular marriage of the Princess of Asturias with the Count of Caserta, had nearly managed to wreck the monarchy, or, at any rate, the regency, and to bring the always dangerous clerical question to an acute stage by suspending the constitutional guarantees over the whole of Spain, it was Romero Robledo who told the Queen quite plainly that before anything else could be done the guarantees must be restored, that the liberties of the people could not be interfered with, and that, in short, the Liberal party must be called into office.  Then we find him holding meetings in which Conservatives, Republicans, even Zorillistas, all combined, enthusiastically declaring that they are on the side of order and progress, agreeing to hold up England, under her constitutional monarch, as the most really democratic and free of all nations, since in no other country, republican or otherwise, is the government, as a matter of fact, so entirely in the hands of the people; swearing eternal enmity against the interference of the clergy in government or in education, but counselling “quiet determination without rancour or bigotry in dealing with those of the clergy who openly, or through the confessional, attempt to usurp authority which it is intended they shall never again acquire in Spain.”  In fact, to read Senor Romero Robledo’s discourses on these occasions, and the excellent articles in the newspaper which represents his views, El Nacional, one would imagine the Golden Age to have dawned for Spain.  Liberty, honour, real religion, progress in science, art, manufactures, trade, the purification of politics, the ideal of good government—­these are only a few of the things to which this amalgamation of parties is solemnly pledged.