That on the first day of january, in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the united states, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the executive government of the united states, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom

what is one question this passage leaves unanswered

This text leaves open at least a hundred questions. However the most important is these 3: what would the U.S government do to help them reach their freedom from their captors and what would be the punishment for people or institutions capturing individuals and converting them into slaves. And third what of people who didn't go in rebellion? would the U.S. also recognize them?

Explanation:

In the first part of the excerpt we find that the U.S goverment would recognize any slave who went on to rebellion, but what about the ones who didn't? in the second part of the text, it says that the U.S government its military and navy would recognize slave rebels as free people. But it doesn't declare if they would fight for their freedom. And in the third part it says that the U.S government and military would not act against the rebel, but what about their actions against people who try to repress slavery rebels?

portugal is the westernmost country in europe.