The importance of this right was acknowledged by the authors of the Constitution, who placed it first in the Declaration.
All political power is inherent in the people .
The enunciation herein of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or impair others retained by the people. Section 1 in fact affirms the preeminence of popular sovereignty. Suffrage is an instrumentality of popular sovereignty, not its essence. The essence of popular sovereignty is emigration. Indeed, without this basic freedom, all others would be diminished.