(a)why did federalists favor the alien and sedition acts? (b) why did republicans oppose these laws?

A) The Federalist liked the Alien and Sedition Acts for which it protected the President at the time (Adams) who was a federalist. 
B) Republicans opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts for the reason that they were the majority that were jailed or punished. Many Republicans claimed that the Alien and Sedition Acts took away the 1st Amendment, which is Freedom of Speech. 

The supreme court is the U.S and courts decision