"Thirteen sovereignties pulling against each other, and all tugging at the federal head, will soon bring ruin to the whole; whereas a liberal, and energetic Constitution, well guarded and closely watched, to prevent encroachments, might restore us to that degree of respectability and consequence, to which we had a fair claim, and the brightest prospect of attaining..."
George Washington to James Madison November 5, 1786
What Washington said, and what Lincoln said are entirely consistant. It was Lincoln who defended the government established by the framers of the Constitution.
Defended the government?! Ha! what a joke. Apparently, you forgot to notice that Lincoln used a gun to supposedly do what Washington did with the "consent of the governed". I would have preferred Washington's Union to the one created by the 39th Congress, which was unchecked by Lincoln.
I'd take my chance crossing Abe before George any day. George was one tough dude.