The original intentions of the Bill of Rights was as a declaration of the people's empowerment. These empowered rights were included within the U.S. Constitution by a majority of the people in an effort to control a tyranny of a few.

Later in the fourteenth amendment, congress demeaned the Bill of Rights by legislating them legal or civil rights.  This alteration worked in favor of tyranny and to the detriment of the people, as rather than the emphasis being placed on a minority taking advantage of a majority - with this being tyranny - the focus was altered to that of a majority taking advantage of minorities.  As a result of this, the people's empowerment became usurped.

In other words, back when the Bill of Rights were interpreted as they were originally intended, the people were part of the government possessing the greatest part of it.