By the president of the united states of america. a proclamation. i, abraham lincoln, president of the united states of america, and commander-in-chief of the army and navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and declare that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for the object of practically restoring the constitutional relation between the united states, and each of the states, and the people thereof, in which states that relation is, or may be, suspended or disturbed. 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. that the executive will, on the first day of january aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the states, and part of states, if any, in which the people thereof respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the united states; and the fact that any state, or the people thereof shall, on that day be, in good faith represented in the congress of the united states, by members chosen thereto, at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such state shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such state and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the united states. use context to determine the meaning of the word in bold. confusing expensive confirmed extravagant