George washington once said, "we are one nation today, and thirteen tomorrow. who will treat with us on such terms? " what did he mean by this statement? the states were arguing, and for congress to attain power and the respect of other nations, they had to learn to compromise. each state was creating its own government system, and washington was concerned that citizens would not be treated equally. other nations wanted the united states to divide into thirteen separate states, and george washington wanted to discourage this idea. each of the thirteen states began creating its own trade laws, and this was creating confusion for nations who wanted to trade with the u. s.