Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

Our readers will find in this day's paper, the Message of the President of the United States to Congress. The subjects which it embraces, are all of them in a degree important, and some of them highly so to American citizens. A very small portion of the Message is occupied with commercial information, and it discovers the same propensity to underrate commerce. which distinguished those of his predecessor.- While Mr. Madison thus slights the commercial interests of our country, he would do well to reflect on the receipts of eight Millions and an half into the Treasury, during the last year, arising almost exclusively from commerce, and to contrast the receipts in this short period with those during the ruinous embargo. The two great belligerents, are noticed as is usual, and as we anticipated, the French through a lens, Great-Britain through a microscope. The manner in which possession has been taken of the Spanish territory, situated between the river Perdido and the Mississippi, (a particular statement of which is given in the documents annexed to the Message) is calculated to excite much interest. From an attentive perusal of the Treaty of cession, dated 1803, we are firmly persuaded, that the United States, (however desirable and valuable an acquisition it might be) have no legal or equitable claim whatever to the above-mentioned territory, and that the conduct of the President, is an infringement upon the rights of the Spaniards. We are surprised that a subject of such vast moment to the United States as the national Bank, should not be deemed worthy of the President's notice.