The growth of the anti-Masonic movement was due to the political and social conditions of the time rather than to the Morgan episode, which was merely the torch that ignited the train. Under the name of "Anti-Masons" able leaders united those who were discontented with existing political conditions, and the fact that William Wirt, their choice for the presidency in 1832, was not only a Mason but even defended the Order in a speech before the convention that nominated him, indicates that simple opposition to Masonry soon became a minor factor in holding together the various elements of which the party was composed.
See Charles McCarthy, _The Antimasonic Party: A Study of Political Anti-Masonry in the United States, 1827-1840_, in the Report of the American Historical Association for 1902 (Washington, 1903); the _Autobiography of Thurlow Weed_ (2 vols., Boston, 1884); A.G. Mackey and W.R. Singleton, _The History of Freemasonry_, vol. vi. (New York, 1898); and J.D. Hammond, _History of Political Parties in the State of New York_ (2 vols., Albany, 1842).
ANTIMONY (symbol Sb, atomic weight 120.2), one of the metallic chemical elements, included in the same natural family of the elements as nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and bismuth. Antimony, in the form of its sulphide, has been known from very early times, more especially in Eastern countries, reference to it being made in the Old Testament. The Arabic name for the naturally occurring stibnite is "kohl"; Dioscorides mentions it under the term [Greek: stimmi], Pliny as _stibium_; and Geber as _antimonium_. By the German writers it is called _Speissglanz_. Basil Valentine alludes to it in his _Triumphal Car of Antimony_ (circa 1600), and at a later date describes the preparation of the metal.
Native mineral antimony is occasionally found, and as such was first recognized in 1748. It usually occurs as lamellar or glanular masses, with a tin-white colour and metallic lustre, in limestone or in mineral veins often in association with ores of silver. Distinct crystals are rarely met with; these are rhombohedral and isomorphous with arsenic and bismuth; they have a perfect cleavage parallel to the basal plane, c (111), and are sometimes twinned on a rhombohedral plane, e (110). Hardness 3-3½ specific gravity 6.63-6.72. Sala in Sweden, Allemont in Dauphine, and Sarawak in Borneo may be mentioned as some of the localities for this mineral.