Because of this Compromise, California was admitted as a free state and slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty in the New Mexico Territory. The admission of new states was of great important at this time, as they would either be free or slave states. Both sides pushed their own agendas, which resulted in mounting tension. Southern states refused to agree with the compromise unless a tougher fugitive slave law was a part of the compromise. This new Fugitive Slave Act created federal commissioners whose job was to determine the fate of an alleged fugitive slave. Their decision was final, the alleged fugitive wasn’t given a jury trial or a court testimony. This gave the national government incredible policing powers, much bigger than it had ever had before. Another part of this law forbid local Northern authorities from interfering with arrests, while Northern citizens were required to assist in the arrests when called upon. This amount of federal power took a great amount of power away from the local and state governments, which worried Northerners. Giving this power to the federal power to regulate slavery made slavery a much more national policy, rather than a local
Because of this Compromise, California was admitted as a free state and slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty in the New Mexico Territory. The admission of new states was of great important at this time, as they would either be free or slave states. Both sides pushed their own agendas, which resulted in mounting tension. Southern states refused to agree with the compromise unless a tougher fugitive slave law was a part of the compromise. This new Fugitive Slave Act created federal commissioners whose job was to determine the fate of an alleged fugitive slave. Their decision was final, the alleged fugitive wasn’t given a jury trial or a court testimony. This gave the national government incredible policing powers, much bigger than it had ever had before. Another part of this law forbid local Northern authorities from interfering with arrests, while Northern citizens were required to assist in the arrests when called upon. This amount of federal power took a great amount of power away from the local and state governments, which worried Northerners. Giving this power to the federal power to regulate slavery made slavery a much more national policy, rather than a local