What was one of the main arguments made by the Democratic-Republicans regarding the Alien and Sedition Acts?

The argument made by the Democratic-Republicans regarding the Alien and Sedition Acts centered on the belief that these laws constituted a violation of the Constitution, particularly the First Amendment, which guarantees freedoms related to speech and the press. The Democratic-Republicans, led by figures such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, viewed the acts as an infringement on civil liberties intended to suppress political dissent and opposition to the Federalist Party. They argued that the laws were framed in a way that granted the government excessive power to regulate speech and could lead to abuse against those who opposed the governing party. This opposition prompted them to draft the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which asserted that states had the power to declare laws unconstitutional and push back against what they perceived as overreach by the federal government.