Despair is his only refuge.

He knows it is useless to appeal from tyranny unto the designers and apologists of tyranny.
Ignominious death alone can bring him relief.

This was the case of thousands of men doomed by the institution of slavery.

_But such is not the case with free men._ You cannot oppress and murder freemen as you would slaves: you cannot so insult them with the question, "What are you going to do about it ?" When you ask free men that question you appeal to men who, though sunk to the verge of despair, yet are capable of uprising and ripping hip and thigh those who deemed them incapable of so rising above their condition.

The history of mankind is fruitful of such uprisings of races and classes reduced to a condition of absolute despair.