More John Adams
The thing I don't admire about Adams was his support, however reluctant, for the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Collectively, they were the Patriot Act of their day. Adams let himself be persuaded into signing the bills by the High Federalists (led by Hamilton), his wife Abigail (whose usual good sense was trumped by her anger at the scurrilous criticism of her husband in Republican papers like the Aurora), and Adams' own vanity. While he proved mostly unwilling to use the provisions of the acts to either expel aliens or suppress dissent, his support for them ultimately hurt him. The Sedition Act was used to justify the arrests of 25 men who were either editors or associated with Republican newspapers. The men were jailed and their papers shut down. This resulted in a public outcry against the acts and contributed to the victory of Jefferson and the Republicans in the election of 1800.

There was little doubt then, and none now, that the Acts were designed to destroy opposition to the Federalist party and its agenda. Adams was not complicit in this; but he let himself be used. Fortunately, the effort backfired. But the passage of the Acts set a precedent that has, at least implicitly, been used to bulwark similar efforts of questionable constitutionality.