Whoa, miller, it didn't happen that way. When the founding fathers set things to writing the common people explicitly weren't to be part of it. Hamilton railed against the democratic spirit unleashed by the Revolution. "The mass of people seldom judge or determine right," he told the Constitutional Convention, even advocated a Senate and president serving for life modelled on the British monarchy and House of Lords.
He was ignored although the Constitution strengthened federal authority and forbade interference with the states in collecting debts and violating property rights in general (including slavery which expanded dramatically after independence). By and for the people evolved over time, as the Second---but let's not get into that! Hamilton was later instrumental in gaining support for the Constitution.
The Civil War rid the US of slavery, not the logic of liberty. By and for the people wasn't around Lying Lincoln, as you say, any more than it was around Hilary Clinton when she paid $1.2 billion to run the country her way. .
