How did the government respond to the people who critized the government when John Adams was president?

During John Adams' presidency, the government responded to critics through the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which aimed to suppress dissent. These laws made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials, leading to the prosecution of several opposition journalists and politicians. Critics argued that these acts violated the First Amendment and stifled free speech, ultimately contributing to Adams' unpopularity and the decline of the Federalist Party.