Obedient to the law.

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1839.  Being a law-loving and law-abiding man, he had voted to preserve the laws.—Mr. Shepard of North Carolina, House of Repr., Dec. 18: Cong. Globe, p. 14, App.

2

1846.  The Presbyterians in Carolina have ever been a law-loving, law-abiding people; differing sometimes about the extent of powers to be granted to magistrates, all unite in reverence for the laws enacted by the regular authorities under the adopted Constitution.—W. H. Foote, ‘Sketches of North Carolina,’ p. 124 (N.Y.).

3

1848.  This most polite and law-abiding mob backed out, and nullified its own resolution.—Mr. Wick, of Indiana House of Repr., April 25: Cong. Globe, p. 667.

4

1849.  Daniel Webster says you are a law-abiding people; that the glory of New England is that it is a law-abiding community.—Speech of Wendell Phillips, May: quoted April 8, 1850, id., p. 459, App.

5

1850.  I believe the Rio Grande is the boundary, and every law-abiding man who thinks it is will be bound so to regard it.—Mr. McLane of Maryland, House of Repr., Aug. 10: id., p. 1120, App.

6

1850.  I supposed that one characteristic upon which we plumed ourselves was that we were a law-abiding people.—Mr. Cass of Michigan, U.S. Senate, Aug. 20: id., p. 1593, App.

7

1855.  The people of Oregon are a law-abiding, honest, and gallant people.—Mr. Joseph Lane of Oregon, House of Repr., Jan. 26: id., p. 416.

8

1861.  

        We ’re lor-abidin’ folks down here, we ’ll fix ye so ’s ’t a bar
Would n’ tech ye with a ten-foot pole; (Jedge, you jest warm the tar).
Lowell, ‘Biglow Papers,’ 2nd S., No. 1.    

9

1867.  E. A. Freeman. (N.E.D.)

10

1878.  He gave his solemn assurance that the Saints were a law-abiding people.—J. H. Beadle, ‘Western Wilds,’ p. 529.

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1910.  With us, the mere custom of carrying a revolver leads to many a crime that would otherwise never have been thought of or committed. How shall it be stopped? That is the question for law-abiding people everywhere to consider.—N.Y. Evening Post, March 24.

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