2 verb A word or group of words that modifies another word describes or classifies something, or restricts the meaning of the word. It is a rule of English that adjectives generally precede the noun they modify: we say `a good cry', not `a cry good'.
The Republican Party was formed by Free Soilers who did not want slavery to spread into the western territories. They were not friendly toward blacks, they just did not want to compete for jobs or lower the wages available.
An important Republican opponent of the Radical Republicans was Henry Jarvis Raymond. Raymond was both editor of the New York Times and also a chairman of the Republican National Committee. In Congress the most influential Radical Republicans were U.S. Senator Charles Sumner and U.S. Representative Thaddeus Stevens. They led the call for a war that would end slavery.