[61]

New York politician[edit]
Conkling's machine[edit]
The New York Custom House (formerly the Merchants' Exchange building at 55 Wall Street) was Arthur's office for seven years.
The end of the Civil War meant new opportunities for the men in Morgan's Republican machine, including Arthur.[62] Morgan leaned toward the conservative wing of the New York Republican party, as did the men who worked with him in the organization, including Weed, Seward (who continued in office under President Andrew Johnson), and Roscoe Conkling (an eloquent Utica Congressman and rising star in the party).[62] Arthur rarely articulated his own political ideas during his time as a part of the machine; as was common at the time, loyalty and hard work on the machine's behalf was more important than actual political positions.[63]
At the time, U.S. custom houses were managed by political appointees who served as Collector, Naval Officer, and Surveyor. In 1866, Arthur unsuccessfully attempted to secure the position of Naval Officer at the New York Custom House, a lucrative job subordinate only to the Collector.