Editing John C. Breckinridge (section)

====Second term (1853–1855)====
[[File:RPLetcher.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=A short, balding man in a black suit|Former Governor Robert P. Letcher was unable to unseat Breckinridge in 1853.]]
The Whigs, seeking to recapture Breckinridge's seat, nominated Kentucky [[Attorney General of Kentucky]] [[James Harlan (congressman)|James Harlan]], but some Whig factions opposed him, and he withdrew in March.{{sfn|Davis|2010|pp=76–77}} [[Robert P. Letcher]], a former congressman and governor who had won 14 elections in Kentucky without a loss, was the party's second choice.{{sfn|Davis|2010|p=77}} Both candidates campaigned vigorously throughout the Eighth District, making multiple speeches a day between May and August.{{sfn|Harrison|1973|p=126}} Letcher was an experienced campaigner, but his popular, anecdote-filled oratory was unpolished, and he was prone to outbursts of anger when frustrated.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|pp=105–106}} By contrast, Breckinridge delivered calm, well-reasoned speeches.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=106}} Cassius Clay, a political enemy of Letcher's for years, endorsed Breckinridge, despite their differences on slavery.{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=34}} Citing this endorsement and the abolitionism of Breckinridge's uncles, Letcher tried to paint Breckinridge as an enemy of slavery. Breckinridge pointed to his consistent support for slavery and claimed Letcher was actually hostile to the interests of slaveholders.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=106}} Although the district had gone for Whig candidate Winfield Scott by over 600 votes in the [[1852 United States presidential election|previous year's presidential election]], Breckinridge defeated Letcher by 526 votes.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=106}}{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=35}} Once again, he received a large margin in Owen County, which reported 123 more votes than eligible voters living in the county.{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=35}} Grateful for the support of the reliably Democratic county, he gave his son John Witherspoon Breckinridge the nickname "Owen".{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=106}}

Of the 234 members of the House, Breckinridge was among the 80 who were returned to their seats for the [[33rd United States Congress|Thirty-third Congress]].{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=37}} Due to his increased seniority, he was assigned to the more prestigious [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|Ways and Means Committee]], but he was not given a committee chairmanship as many had expected.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=107}} Although he supported Pierce's proslavery agenda on the principle of states' rights and believed that [[secession]] was legal, he opposed secession as a remedy to the country's immediate problems.<ref name="Dictionary of America Biography: John Cabell Breckinridge"/> This, coupled with his earlier support of manumission and African colonization, balanced his support for slavery; most still considered him a moderate legislator.<ref name="John Cabell Breckinridge, 14th Vice President (1857-1861)" />

An ally of Illinois' Stephen A. Douglas, Breckinridge supported the doctrine of [[Popular sovereignty in the United States|popular sovereignty]] as expressed in Douglas's Kansas–Nebraska Act. He believed passage of the act would remove the issue of slavery from national politics – although it ultimately had the opposite effect – and acted as a liaison between Douglas and Pierce to secure its passage.<ref name="John Cabell Breckinridge, 14th Vice President (1857-1861)" /> During the debate on the House floor, [[New York (state)|New York]]'s [[Francis B. Cutting]], incensed by a statement that Breckinridge had made, demanded that he explain or retract it. Breckinridge interpreted Cutting's demand as a challenge to [[duel]]. Under ''[[code duello]]'', the individual being challenged retained the right to name the weapons used and the distance between the combatants; Breckinridge chose rifles at 60 paces.{{sfn|Harrison|1973|p=126}} He also specified that the duel should be held at [[Silver Spring, Maryland]], the home of his friend [[Francis Preston Blair]].<ref name="John Cabell Breckinridge, 14th Vice President (1857-1861)" /> Cutting, who had not intended his initial remark as a challenge, believed that Breckinridge's naming of terms constituted a challenge; he chose to use pistols at a distance of 10 paces. While the two men attempted to clarify who had issued the challenge and who reserved the right to choose the terms, mutual friends resolved the issue, preventing the duel.{{sfn|Harrison|1973|p=126}} The recently adopted Kentucky Constitution prevented anyone who participated in a duel from holding elected office, and the peaceful resolution of the issue may have saved Breckinridge's political career.{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=45}}